Our Father Cares

Ellen G. White

1991

Copyright © 2011Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.

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Information about this Book

This eBook is provided by the Ellen G. White Estate. It is included in the largerfree Online Books collection on the Ellen G. White Estate Web site.Ellen G. White (1827-1915) is considered the most widely translated Americanauthor, her works having been published in more than 160 languages. She wrotemore than 100,000 pages on a wide variety of spiritual and practical topics. Guidedby the Holy Spirit, she exalted Jesus and pointed to the Scriptures as the basis ofone’s faith.A Brief Biography of Ellen G. WhiteAbout the Ellen G. White EstateThe viewing, printing or downloading of this book grants you only a limited,nonexclusive and nontransferable license for use solely by you for your ownpersonal use. This license does not permit republication, distribution, assignment,sublicense, sale, preparation of derivative works, or other use. Any unauthorizeduse of this book terminates the license granted hereby.For more information about the author, publishers, or how you can support thisservice, please contact the Ellen G. White Estate at mail@whiteestate.org. We arethankful for your interest and feedback and wish you God’s blessing as you read.

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Foreword

This is the sixteenth “Morning-Watch”-type book compiled from the writingsof Ellen G. White. The first in this long series, Radiant Religion, was publishedin 1946 for use the following year. It was followed three years later by With Godat Dawn. The materials for these two early devotional works were drawn entirelyfrom Ellen G. White books already in print.

Beginning with My Life Today, published in 1952, recourse has been madeconsistently to the wealth of previously unpublished materials in the Ellen G.White manuscript and letter file. Titles published, with the year of publication, areas follows:

—Radiant Religion, 1946—With God at Dawn, 1949—My Life Today, 1952—Sons and Daughters of God, 1955—The Faith I Live By, 1958—Our High Calling, 1961—That I May Know Him, 1964—In Heavenly Places, 1967—Conflict and Courage, 1970—God’s Amazing Grace, 1973—Maranatha, 1976—This Day with God, 1979—The Upward Look, 1982—Reflecting Christ, 1985—Lift Him Up, 1988The records of the Review and Herald Publishing Company Association reveal

a steadily increasing sale of these books over the years. In the 1950s My Life Todaysold 24,000 copies, while Sons and Daughters of God had a sale of 33,000. In the1960s both That I May Know Him and In Heavenly Places had sales exceeding63,000 copies. These figures have escalated to sales of more than 90,000 forseveral of the more recent devotional books. Many of these books have alsoenjoyed a large sale in Spanish, Portuguese, and Korean, and other non-EnglishLanguages.

A sampling of opinion among church members reveals that the rich materialspublished in the earlier devotionals are largely unknown to many Adventists today.This present book has been published to remedy this situation. It consists ofselections from 12 of the books named above—one book a month for the 12months of 1992. The source book for each chapter can be located by referring tothe title of each chapter.

Ellen White states that “Christ’s favorite theme was the paternal character andabundant love of God” (Testimonies for the Church 6:55). This also seems to be

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Ellen White’s favorite theme. For that reason the compilers have chosen the titleOur Father Cares. The title has a double significance. Not only have readingsbeen selected on the topic of God’s great love and care for us, but they also reflectthe fact that God cares so much for us that He is interested in every aspect ofour daily lives. He cares about our health, our homes, our study of his word, ourvictory over sin, our preparation for His second coming. He also longs for us tobe with him in his kingdom, which is soon to be established on earth. How muchHe cares!

We invite you to read each day’s devotional with both aspects of God’s concernin mind, trusting that as you meditate on each passage you will come to appreciatemore that ever how much God loves and cares for you.

The Trustees of the Ellen G. White Estate[15]

January—Sons and Daughters of God

We Are Called The Sons Of God, January 1

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that weshould be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not;

because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1.

As John thought of the love of Christ, he was led to exclaim, “Behold, whatmanner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called thesons of God.”

People think it a privilege to see a royal personage, and thousands go greatdistances to see one. How much greater privilege it is to be sons and daughters ofthe Most High. What greater privilege could be conferred on us than to be givenentrance into the royal family?

In order to become the sons and daughters of God, we must separate from theworld. “Come out from among them, and be ye separate,” the Lord says, “and Iwill be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters.” ...

There is a heaven before us, a crown of life to win. But to the overcomeronly is the reward given. He who gains heaven must be clothed with the robe ofrighteousness. “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as heis pure.” In the character of Christ there was no discord of any kind. And this mustbe our experience. Our lives must be controlled by the principles that controlledHis life.

Through the perfection of the sacrifice given for the guilty race, those whobelieve in Christ, coming unto Him, may be saved from eternal ruin....

Let no one be so deluded by the enemy as to think that it is a condescensionfor any man, however talented or learned or honored, to accept Christ. Everyhuman being should look to heaven with reverence and gratitude, and exclaimwith amazement, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed uponus, that we should be called the sons of God.”

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We Are Purified As Christ Is Pure, January 2

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he ispure. 1 John 3:3.

[16]Christ would elevate and refine man’s mind, purifying it from all dross, that

he may appreciate the love that is without a parallel.Through repentance, faith, and good works he may perfect a righteous charac-

ter, and claim, through the merits of Christ, the privileges of the sons of God. Theprinciples of divine truth, received and cherished in the heart, will carry us to aheight of moral excellence that we had not deemed it possible for us to reach....“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

Holiness of heart and purity of life were the great subjects of the teachings ofChrist. In His sermon on the mount, after specifying what must be done in orderto be blessed, and what must not be done, He says, “Be ye therefore perfect, evenas your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Perfection, holiness,—nothing shortof this would give them success in carrying out the principles He had given them.Without this holiness, the human heart is selfish, sinful, and vicious. Holinesswill lead its possessor to be fruitful, and abound in all good works. He will neverbecome weary in well-doing; neither look for promotion in this world; but hewill look forward to be promoted by the Majesty of heaven when He shall exaltHis sanctified and holy ones to His throne.... Holiness of heart will produce rightactions.

As God is pure in His sphere, so man is to be pure in his. And he will be pureif Christ is formed within, the hope of glory; for he will imitate Christ’s life andreflect His character

The princely dignity of the Christian character will shine forth as the sun, andthe beams of light from the face of Christ will be reflected upon those who havepurified themselves even as He is pure

Purity of heart will lead to purity of life

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Power Is Given Us To Become The Sons Of God, January 3

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons ofGod, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12.

Divine sonship is not something that we gain of ourselves. Only to those whoreceive Christ as their Saviour is given the power to become sons and daughtersof God. The sinner cannot, by any power of his own, rid himself of sin. For theaccomplishment of this result, he must look to a higher Power. John exclaimed,“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Christ alonehas power to cleanse the heart. He who is seeking for forgiveness and acceptancecan say only,— “Nothing in my hand I bring;[17]

Simply to Thy cross I cling.”But the promise of sonship is made to all who “believe on his name.” Every

one who comes to Jesus in faith will receive pardonThe religion of Christ transforms the heart. It makes the worldly-minded man

heavenly-minded. Under its influence the selfish man becomes unselfish, becausethis is the character of Christ. The dishonest, scheming man becomes upright, sothat it is second nature to him to do to others as he would have others do to him.The profligate is changed from impurity to purity. He forms correct habits; for thegospel of Christ has become to him a savor of life unto life.

God was to be manifest in Christ, “reconciling the world unto himself.” Manhad become so degraded by sin that it was impossible for him, in himself, to comeinto harmony with Him whose nature is purity and goodness. But Christ, afterhaving redeemed man from the condemnation of the law, could impart divinepower, to unite with human effort. Thus by repentance toward God and faith inChrist, the fallen children of Adam might once more become “sons of God.”

When a soul receives Christ, he receives power to live the life of Christ.

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God Is Near To All That Call Upon Him, January 4

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon himin truth. Psalm 145:18.

God is pleased when we keep our faces turned toward the Sun of Righteous-ness.... When we are in trouble and pressed down with anxieties, the Lord is near,and He bids us cast all our care upon Him, because He cares for us....

He comes to all His children in their affliction. In time of danger He is theirrefuge. In sorrow, He offers them joy and consolation. Shall we turn from theRedeemer, the fountain of living water, to hew out for ourselves broken cisterns,which can hold no water? When danger approaches, shall we seek for help fromthose as weak as ourselves, or shall we flee to Him who is mighty to save? Hisarms are open wide, and He utters the gracious invitation, “Come unto me, all yethat labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

It is not the manifestation of His great and awful majesty and unparalleledpower that will leave us without excuse if we refuse Him our love and obedience.It is the love, the compassion, the patience, the long-suffering that He has shown [18]which will witness against those who do not offer Him the willing service oftheir lives. Those who turn to God with heart and soul and mind will find in Himpeaceful security....

He knows just what we need, just what we can bear, and He will give us graceto endure every trial and test that He brings upon us. My constant prayer is for agreater nearness to God.

Every provision has been made to meet the needs of our spiritual and ourmoral nature....Light and immortality are brought to light through the Lord JesusChrist. Jesus has said that He has set before us an open door, and no man can shutit. The open door is before us, and through the grace of Christ, beams of mercifullight stream forth from the gates ajar.

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Belief In Christ Means Everlasting Life, January 5

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. John 3:36.

When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of thenew heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It isa supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soulthat is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revoltedworld, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soulthus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults ofSatan.

Christ is ready to impart all heavenly influences. He knows every temptationthat comes to man, and the capabilities of every human agent. He weighs hisstrength. He sees the present and the future, and presents before the mind theobligations that should be met, and urges that common, earthly things shall not bepermitted to be so absorbing that eternal things shall be lost out of reckoning.

The gifts of His grace through Christ are free to all. There is no electionbut one’s own by which any may perish. God has set forth in His Word theconditions upon which every soul will be elected to eternal life—obedience to Hiscommandments, through faith in Christ. God has elected a character in harmonywith His law, and any one who shall reach the standard of His requirement, willhave an entrance into the kingdom of glory. Christ Himself said, “He that believethon the Son hath everlasting life.”

What an exalted position to be identified with one in whom is all perfectioncentered, who is indeed the Majesty of heaven, but who loved us, although fallen,so much that language cannot express it! He for our sakes laid aside His royalrobe, stepped down from the throne of heaven, and condescended to clothe His[19]divinity with humility, and became like one of us except in sin, that His life andcharacter should be a pattern for all to copy, that they might have the precious giftof eternal life.

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The Spirit Brings Wisdom And Understanding, January 6

And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom andunderstanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and

of the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:2.

As the Holy Spirit opens to you the truth, you will treasure up the mostprecious experiences, and will long to speak to others of the comforting thingsthat have been revealed to you. When brought into association with them, youwill communicate some fresh thought in regard to the character or the work ofChrist. You will have some fresh revelation of His pitying love to impart to thosewho love Him and to those who love Him not.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you;” for the word of God is “a fountain ofgardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.” The heart that hasonce tasted the love of Christ, cries out continually for a deeper draught, and as youimpart, you will receive in richer and more abundant measure. Every revelation ofGod to the soul increases the capacity to know and to love. The continual cry ofthe heart is, “More of Thee,” and ever the Spirit’s answer is, “Much more.” Forour God delights to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” ToJesus, who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity, the Holy Spirit wasgiven without measure. So it will be given to every follower of Christ when thewhole heart is surrendered for His indwelling. Our Lord Himself has given thecommand, “Be filled with the Spirit,” and this command is also a promise of itsfulfillment. It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Christ should “all thefullness dwell;” and “in him ye are made full.”

God has poured out His love unstintedly, as the showers that refresh the earth.He says: “Let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let thembring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together.” ... “Of his fulnesshave we received, and grace for grace.” [20]

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Angels Minister To The Heirs Of Salvation, January 7

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them whoshall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:14.

God has angels whose whole work is to draw those who shall be heirs ofsalvation... The angels’ work is to keep back the powers of Satan.

The work of these heavenly beings is to prepare the inhabitants of this worldto become children of God, pure, holy, undefiled. But men, though professingto be followers of Christ, do not place themselves in a position where they canunderstand this ministry, and thus the work of the heavenly messengers is madehard. The angels, who do always behold the face of the Father in heaven, wouldprefer to remain close by the side of God, in the pure and holy atmosphere ofheaven; but a work must be done in bringing this heavenly atmosphere to the soulswho are tempted and tried, that Satan may not disqualify them for the place theLord would have them fill in the heavenly courts. Principalities and powers inheavenly places combine with these angels in their ministration for those whoshall be heirs of salvation.

Angels, who will do for you what you can not do for yourselves, are waiting foryour co-operation. They are waiting for you to respond to the drawing of Christ.Draw nigh to God and to one another. By desire, by silent prayer, by resistanceof satanic agencies, put your will on the side of God’s will. While you have onedesire to resist the devil, and sincerely pray, Deliver me from temptation, you willhave strength for your day. It is the work of the heavenly angels to come close tothe tried, the tempted, the suffering ones. They labor long and untiringly to savethe souls for whom Christ has died. And when souls appreciate their advantages,appreciate the heavenly assistance sent them, respond to the Holy Spirit’s workingin their behalf; when they put their will on the side of Christ’s will, angels bearthe tidings heavenward.... And there is rejoicing among the heavenly host.

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We Receive A Faith That Works By Love, January 8

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, noruncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. Galatians 5:6.

[21]When you present your petitions to the Lord, it should be in humility, without

boasting of superior attainments, but with real soul hunger for the blessing of God.Christ always knows what is cherished in the heart. We must come in faith thatthe Lord will hear and answer our prayers; for “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”Genuine faith is the faith that works by love, and purifies the soul. A living faithwill be a working faith. Should we go into the garden and find that there was nosap in the plants, no freshness in the leaves, no bursting buds or blooming flowers,no signs of life in stalk or branches, we would say, “The plants are dead. Uprootthem from the garden; for they are a deformity to the beds.” So it is with thosewho profess Christianity, and have no spirituality. If there are no signs of religiousvigor, if there is no doing of the commandments of the Lord, it is evident thatthere is no abiding in Christ, the living vine.

Faith and love are the essential, powerful, working elements of Christiancharacter. Those who possess them are one with Christ, and are carrying forwardHis mission.... We are to sit at Christ’s feet as continual learners, and to work withHis gifts of faith and love. We shall then wear Christ’s yoke, and lift His burdens,and Christ will recognize us as one with Him; in heaven it will be said, “Ye arelabourers together with God.” Will our youth remember that without faith it isimpossible to please God? and it must be faith that works by love and purifies thesoul.

We cannot overestimate the value of simple faith and unquestioning obedience.It is by following in the path of obedience in simple faith that the character obtainsperfection.

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Dependence Upon God, January 9

For without me ye can do nothing.John 15:5, last part.

The first lesson to be taught ... is the lesson of dependence upon God.... As aflower of the field has its root in the soil; as it must receive air, dew, showers, andsunshine, so must we receive from God that which ministers to the life of the soul.

The presence of God is guaranteed to the Christian. This Rock of faith isthe living presence of God. The weakest may depend upon it. Those who thinkthemselves the strongest may become the weakest unless they depend on Christas their efficiency, their worthiness. This is the Rock upon which we may buildsuccessfully. God is near in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, in His intercession, Hisloving, tender ruling power over the church. Seated by the eternal throne, Hewatches them with intense interest. As long as the members of the church shallthrough faith draw sap and nourishment from Jesus Christ, and not from man’sopinions and devisings, and methods; if having a conviction of the nearness of[22]God in Christ, they put their entire trust in Him, they will have a vital connectionwith Christ as the branch has connection with the parent stock. The church isestablished not on theories of men, on long-drawn-out plans and forms. It dependsupon Christ their righteousness. It is built on faith in Christ, “and the gates of hellshall not prevail against it.” ...

The strength of every soul is in God and not in man. Quietness and confidenceis to be the strength of all who give their hearts to God. Christ has not a casualinterest in us but an interest stronger than a mother for her child.... Our Saviour haspurchased us by human suffering and sorrow, by insult, reproach, abuse, mockery,rejection and death. He is watching over you, trembling child of God. He willmake you secure under His protection.... Our weakness in human nature will notbar our access to the heavenly Father, for He [Christ]died to make intercession forus.

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The Renewed Heart Loves As Christ Loved, January 10

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I haveloved you, that ye also love one another. John 13:34.

Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Love is not simply an im-pulse, a transitory emotion, dependent upon circumstances; it is a living principle,a permanent power. The soul is fed by the streams of pure love that flow from theheart of Christ, as a well-spring that never fails. O, how is the heart quickened, howare its motives ennobled, its affections deepened, by this communion! Under theeducation and discipline of the Holy Spirit, the children of God love one another,truly, sincerely, unaffectedly,—“without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” Andthis because the heart is in love with Jesus. Our affection for one another springsfrom our common relation to God. We are one family, we love one another asHe loved us. When compared with this true, sanctified, disciplined affection, theshallow courtesy of the world, the meaningless expression of effusive friendship,are as chaff to the wheat.

To love as Christ loved means to manifest unselfishness at all times and in allplaces, by kind words and pleasant looks.... Genuine love is a precious attribute ofheavenly origin, which increases its fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed toothers...

Christ’s love is deep and earnest, flowing like an irrepressible stream to allwho will accept it. There is no selfishness in His love. If this heaven-born love isan abiding principle in the heart, it will make itself known, not only to those wehold most dear in sacred relationship, but to all with whom we come in contact. [23]It will lead us to bestow little acts of attention, to make concessions, to performdeeds of kindness, to speak tender, true, encouraging words. It will lead us tosympathize with those whose hearts hunger for sympathy.

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We Are to Take Time To Think About God, January 11

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I willbe exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10.

Christians should ... cultivate a love for meditation, and cherish a spirit ofdevotion. Many seem to begrudge moments spent in meditation, and the searchingof the Scriptures, and prayer, as though the time thus occupied was lost. I wishyou could all view these things in the light God would have you; for you wouldthen make the kingdom of Heaven of the first importance. To keep your heart inHeaven, will give vigor to all your graces, and put life into all your duties. Todiscipline the mind to dwell upon heavenly things, will put life and earnestnessinto all our endeavors.

Let every one who desires to be a partaker of the divine nature appreciate thefact that he must escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Theremust be a constant, earnest struggling of the soul against the evil imaginings ofthe mind. There must be a steadfast resistance of temptation to sin in thought oract. The soul must be kept from every stain, through faith in Him who is able tokeep you from falling. We should meditate upon the Scriptures, thinking soberlyand candidly upon the things that pertain to our eternal salvation. The infinitemercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our behalf, call for most serious andsolemn reflection. We should dwell upon the character of our dear Redeemer andIntercessor. We should seek to comprehend the meaning of the plan of salvation.We should meditate upon the mission of Him who came to save His people fromtheir sins. By constantly contemplating heavenly themes, our faith and love willgrow stronger. Our prayers will be more and more acceptable to God, because theywill be more and more mixed with faith and love. They will be more intelligentand fervent.

When the mind is thus filled ... the believer in Christ will be able to bring forthgood things from the treasure of the heart[24]

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Let Us Come Boldly To The Throne of Grace, January 12

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtainmercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16.

Jesus knows the needs of His children, and He loves to listen to their prayers.Let the children shut out the world and everything that would attract the thoughtsfrom God, and let them feel that they are alone with God, that His eye looks intothe inmost heart, and reads the desire of the soul, and that they may talk withGod. In humble faith you may claim His promises, and feel that although youhave nothing in yourself whereby you may claim the favor of God, because of themerits and righteousness of Christ, you may come boldly to the throne of grace,and find help in time of need. There is nothing that can make the soul so strongto resist the temptations of Satan in the great conflict of life, as to seek God inhumility, laying before Him your soul in all its helplessness, expecting that Hewill be your helper and your defender.

With the trusting faith of a little child, we are to come to our heavenly Father,telling Him of all our needs. He is always ready to pardon and help. The supplyof divine wisdom is inexhaustible, and the Lord encourages us to draw largelyfrom it. The longing that we should have for spiritual blessings is described in thewords, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee,O God.” We need a deeper soul-hunger for the rich gifts that heaven has to bestow.

We are to hunger and thirst after righteousness.O that we might have a consuming desire to know God by an experimental

knowledge, to come into the audience chamber of the Most High, reaching up thehand of faith, and casting our helpless souls upon the One mighty to save. Hisloving kindness is better than life.

He desires to bestow on the children of men the riches of an eternal inheritance.His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

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Rejoice In The Rich Treasures of Grace, January 13

And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hathgiven unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the

stranger that is among you. Deuteronomy 26:11.[25]

Thanksgiving and praise should be expressed to God for temporal blessingsand for whatever comforts He bestows upon us. God would have every familythat He is preparing to inhabit the eternal mansions above, give glory to Him forthe rich treasures of His grace. Were children, in the home life, educated andtrained to be grateful to the Giver of all good things, we would see an element ofheavenly grace manifest in our families. Cheerfulness would be seen in the homelife, and coming from such homes, the youth would bring a spirit of respect andreverence with them into the schoolroom, and into the church. There would bean attendance in the sanctuary where God meets with His people, a reverence forall the ordinances of His worship, and grateful praise and thanksgiving would beoffered for all the gifts of His providence....

Every temporal blessing would be received with gratitude, and every spiritualblessing become doubly precious because the perception of each member of thehousehold had become sanctified by the Word of truth. The Lord Jesus is verynear to those who thus appreciate His gracious gifts, tracing all their good thingsback to the benevolent, loving, care-taking God, and recognizing Him as the greatFountain of all comfort and consolation, the inexhaustible Source of grace.

If we would give more expression to our faith, rejoice more in the blessingsthat we know we have,—the great mercy and love of God,—we should have morefaith and greater joy. No tongue can express, no finite mind can conceive, theblessing that results from appreciating the goodness and love of God. Even onearth we may have joy as a wellspring, never failing, because fed by the streamsthat flow from the throne of God.

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We Have Received Of God’s Fullness, January 14

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. John 1:16.

Christ sought to save the world, not by conformity to it, but by revealing to theworld the transforming power of the grace of God to mold and fashion the humancharacter after the likeness of the character of Christ.

Satan has represented God as selfish and oppressive, as claiming all, and givingnothing, as requiring the service of His creatures for His own glory, and makingno sacrifice for their good. But the gift of Christ reveals the Father’s heart.... Itdeclares that while God’s hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for the sinneris stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, He will spare nothing,however dear, which is necessary to the completion of His work. No truth essential [26]to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of mercy is neglected, no divine agency isleft unemployed. Favor is heaped upon favor, gift upon gift. The whole treasuryof heaven is open to those He seeks to save. Having collected the riches of theuniverse, and laid open the resources of infinite power, He gives them all into thehands of Christ, and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince himthat there is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happinesswill be found in loving Me.

The Father appreciates every soul whom His Son has purchased by the gift ofHis life. Every provision has been made for us to receive divine power, which willenable us to overcome temptations. Through obedience to all God’s requirementsthe soul is preserved unto eternal life.

God has a heaven full of blessings that He wants to bestow on those who areearnestly seeking for that help which the Lord alone can give.

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We Are Changed From Glory To Glory, January 15

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, arechanged into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the

Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18.

When enlightened by the Spirit of God, the believer beholds the perfection ofJesus, and beholding this perfection, he rejoices with joy unspeakable. In self hesees sin and helplessness; in the Redeemer sinlessness and infinite power. Thesacrifice that Christ made in order that He might impart to us His righteousness—this is a theme upon which we may dwell with deeper and still deeper enthusiasm.Self is nothing; Jesus is everything....

The transforming power of grace can make me a partaker of the divine nature.On Christ the glory of God has shone, and by looking upon Christ, contemplatingHis self-sacrifice, remembering that in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godheadbodily, the believer is drawn closer and closer to the Source of power....

How essential that we have the enlightenment of the Spirit of God; for thusonly can we see the glory of Christ, and by beholding become changed fromcharacter to character in and through faith in Christ.... He has grace and pardonfor every soul. As by faith we look to Jesus, our faith pierces the shadow, and weadore God for His wondrous love in giving us Jesus the Comforter....

The sinner may become a child of God, an heir of heaven. He may rise fromthe dust, and stand forth arrayed in garments of light.... At every step of advance,[27]he sees new beauties in Christ, and becomes more like Him in character.

The love that was manifested toward him in the death of Christ, awakens aresponse of thankful love, and in answer to sincere prayer, the believer is broughtfrom grace to grace, from glory to glory, until by beholding Christ, he is changedinto the same image.

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Love For Others, January 16

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, asChrist also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a

sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. Ephesians 5:1, 2.

You are to follow God as dear children, to be obedient to all His requirements,walking in love as Christ also hath loved us.... Love was the element in whichChrist moved and walked and worked. He came to embrace the world in the armsof His love...

We are to follow the example set by Christ, and make Him our pattern, untilwe shall have the same love for others as He has manifested for us. He seeks toimpress us with this profound lesson of love.... If your hearts have been givento selfishness, let Christ imbue you with His love. He desires that we shall loveHim fully, and encourages, yes, even commands, that we shall love others as Hehas given us an example. He has made love the badge of our discipleship.... Thisis the measurement to which you are to reach,—“Love one another; as I haveloved you.” What height, what depth and breadth of love! This love is not simplyto embrace a few favorites, it is to reach to the lowliest and humblest of God’screatures. Jesus says, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of thesemy brethren, ye have done it unto me.” ...

The love and sympathy which Jesus would have us give to others does notsavor of sentimentalism, which is a snare to the soul; it is a love that is of heavenlyextraction, which Jesus exemplifies by both precept and example. But insteadof manifesting this love, how often we are alienated and estranged one fromanother.... The result is estrangement from God, a dwarfed experience, a blightingof Christian growth....

The love of Jesus is an active principle, uniting heart with heart in bondsof Christian fellowship. Every one who enters heaven will on earth have beenperfected in love; for in heaven the Redeemer and the redeemed will be objects ofour interest. [28]

21

We Are To Overcome As Christ Overcame, January 17

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In theworld ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the

world. John 16:33.

Satan made stronger attacks upon Christ than he will ever make upon us. Therewas much at stake with him, whether Christ or himself should be conqueror. IfChrist resisted his most powerful temptations, and Satan did not succeed in leadingHim to sin, he knew that he must lose his power, and finally be punished witheverlasting destruction. Therefore Satan worked with mighty power to lead Christto do a wrong action, for then he would gain advantage over Him.... You can neverbe tempted in so determined and cruel manner as was our Saviour. Satan wasupon His path every moment.

Will man take hold of divine power, and with determination and perseveranceresist Satan, as Christ has given him example in His conflict with the foe in thewilderness of temptation? God cannot save man against his will from the powerof Satan’s artifices. Man must work with his human power, aided by the divinepower of Christ, to resist and to conquer at any cost to himself. In short, man mustovercome as Christ overcame. And then, through the victory that it is his privilegeto gain by the all-powerful name of Jesus, he may become an heir of God andjoint-heir with Jesus Christ. This could not be the case if Christ alone did all theovercoming. Man must do his part; he must be victor on his own account, throughthe strength and grace that Christ gives him. Man must be a co-worker with Christin the labor of overcoming, and then he will be partaker with Christ in His glory.

The Saviour overcame to show man how he may overcome. All the temptationsof Satan, Christ met with the Word of God. By trusting in God’s promises, Hereceived power to obey God’s commandments, and the tempter could gain noadvantage.

22

Jesus Is A Friend That Is Closer Than A Brother, January 18

There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24.

Disappointments you will have, but ever bear in mind that Jesus, the living, [29]risen Saviour, is your Redeemer, your Restorer. He loves you, and it is better toshare His love than to sit with princes and be separated from Him....

Come daily to Jesus, who loves you. Open your heart to Him freely. In Himthere is no disappointment. You will never find a better counselor, a safer guide, amore sure defense.

Through all your trials ... you have had a never-failing Friend, who has said,“I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

But how often is the Lord neglected for the society of others, and for thingsof no value! ... We dare not let His name languish on our lips, and His love andmemory die out of our hearts. “Well,” says the cold, formal professor, “this ismaking Christ too much like a human being;” but the Word of God warrants us tohave these very ideas. It is the want of these practical, definite views of Christ, thathinders so many from having a genuine experience in the knowledge of our Lordand Saviour Jesus Christ. This is the reason that many are fearing and doubtingand mourning. Their ideas of Christ and the plan of salvation are vague, dreary,and confused.... If ever there was a time when men needed the presence of Christat their right hand, it is now, so that when the enemy shall come in like a flood,the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

Communion with Christ—how unspeakably precious! Such communion it isour privilege to enjoy, if we will seek it.

The everlasting assurance shall be yours that you have a Friend that stickethcloser than a brother.

23

Careful Habits Ensure Good Health, January 19

I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith theLord. Jeremiah 30:17.

The mind does not wear out nor break down so often on account of diligentemployment and hard study, as on account of eating improper food at impropertimes, and of careless inattention to the laws of health.... Irregular hours for eatingand sleeping sap the brain forces. The apostle Paul declares that he who wouldbe successful in reaching a high standard of godliness must be temperate in allthings. Eating, drinking, and dressing all have a direct bearing upon our spiritualadvancement.

Health is a blessing which few appreciate.... Many eat at all hours, regardlessof the laws of health. Then gloom covers the mind. How can men be honored withdivine enlightenment when they are so reckless in their habits, so inattentive to thelight which God has given in regard to these things.... Life is a holy trust, which[30]God alone can enable us to keep, and to use to His glory. But He who formed thewonderful structure of the body will take special care to keep it in order if men donot work at cross-purposes with Him.

Health, life, and happiness are the result of obedience to physical laws govern-ing our bodies. If our will and way are in accordance with God’s will and way;if we do the pleasure of our Creator, He will keep the human organism in goodcondition, and restore the moral, mental, and physical powers, in order that Hemay work through us to His glory.... If we co-operate with Him in this work,health and happiness, peace and usefulness, are the sure result.

He did not die for us in order that we might become slaves to evil habits, butthat we might become the sons and daughters of God, serving Him with everypower of the being.

My dear young friends, advance step by step, until all your habits shall be inharmony with the laws of life and health.

24

Divine Wisdom, January 20

For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired arenot to be compared to it. Proverbs 8:11.

If Adam and Eve had never touched the forbidden tree, the Lord would haveimparted to them knowledge,—knowledge upon which rested no curse of sin,knowledge that would have brought them everlasting joy. The only knowledgethey gained by their disobedience was a knowledge of sin and its results....

Age after age, the curiosity of men has led them to seek for the tree of knowl-edge; and often they think they are plucking fruit most essential, when, likeSolomon’s research, they find it altogether vanity and nothingness in comparisonwith that science of true holiness which will open to them the gates of the cityof God. The human ambition has been seeking for that kind of knowledge thatwill bring to them glory and self-exaltation and supremacy. Thus Adam andEve were worked upon by Satan until God’s restraint was snapped asunder, andtheir education under the teacher of lies began in order that they might have theknowledge which God had refused them.

True wisdom is a treasure as lasting as eternity. Many of the world’s so-calledwise men are wise only in their own estimation. Content with the acquisition ofworldly wisdom, they never enter the garden of God, to become acquainted withthe treasures of knowledge contained in His holy Word. Supposing themselves tobe wise, they are ignorant concerning the wisdom which all must have who gain [31]eternal life....The unlearned man, if he knows God and Jesus Christ, has a moreenduring wisdom than has the most learned man who despises the instruction ofGod.

Divine wisdom is to be a lamp to your feet....Everything that can be shakenwill be shaken; but rooted and grounded in the truth, you will abide with thosethings that cannot be shaken.

25

Study The Scriptures, January 21

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for ourlearning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have

hope. Romans 15:4.

This Holy Book has withstood the assaults of Satan, who has united with evilmen to make everything of divine character shrouded in clouds and darkness.But the Lord has preserved this Holy Book by His own miraculous power in itspresent shape,—a chart or guidebook to the human family to show them the wayto heaven.... This Word ... is the guidebook to the inhabitants of a fallen world,bequeathed to them, that by studying and obeying the directions, not one soulwould lose its way.

There never was a time when it was so important that followers of Christshould study the Bible as now. Deceptive influences are upon all sides, and it isessential that you counsel with Jesus, your best friend.... David declares, “Thyword have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” How many arebetrayed into sin, because they have not, through prayerful study of the Word ofGod, realized the sinfulness of sin, and found out how they may steadfastly resistit. When temptation comes upon them, they seem to be off guard, and ignorant ofthe devices of the enemy. We are living in perilous times, and as we draw nearthe close of earth’s history, there will be no safety for those who do not becomefamiliar with the Word of God.... Everything that can be shaken, will be shaken....The children of God have reached the most critical part of their pilgrimage; forthe nets and pitfalls of the enemy are on every side. And yet with the guidance ofthe Lord, with that which is plainly revealed in His Word, we may walk securelyand not stumble.... A voice from heaven is addressing us in its pages.

Obedience to God’s Word is our only safeguard against the evils that aresweeping the world to destruction.[32]

26

To Walk In His Way, January 22

The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be tothe workers of iniquity. Proverbs 10:29.

If from the beginning we had walked in the counsel of God, thousands morewould have been converted to the present truth. But many have made crookedpaths for their feet. My brethren, make straight paths, lest the lame be turned outof the way. Let no one follow a crooked path that some one else has made, forthus you would not only go astray yourself, but would make this crooked pathplainer for some one else to follow. Determine that as for yourself, you will walkin the path of obedience. Know for a certainty that you are standing under thebroad shield of Omnipotence. Realize that the characteristics of Jehovah must berevealed in your life, and that in you a work must be accomplished that will moldyour character after the divine similitude. Yield yourself to the guidance of Himwho is the Head over all.

We are doing our work for the judgment. Let us be learners of Jesus. We needHis guidance every moment. At every step we should inquire, “Is this the wayof the Lord?” not, “Is this the way of the man who is over me?” We are to beconcerned only as to whether we are walking in the way of the Lord.

God will honor and uphold every true-hearted, earnest soul who is seekingto walk before Him in the perfection of Christ’s grace. He will never leave norforsake one humble, trembling soul. Shall we believe that He will work in ourhearts? that if we allow Him to do so, He will make us pure and holy, by His richgrace qualifying us to be laborers together with Him? Can we with keen, sanctifiedperception appreciate the strength of His promises, and appropriate them, notbecause we are worthy, but because by living faith we claim the righteousness ofChrist?

There is nothing so great and powerful as God’s love for those who are Hischildren.

27

All Men Are Drawn To The Uplifted Saviour, January 23

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.John 12:32.

Never before was there such a general knowledge of Jesus as when He hungupon the cross. He was lifted up from the earth, to draw all to Him. Into the hearts[33]of many who beheld that crucifixion scene, and who heard Christ’s words, wasthe light of truth to shine. With John they would proclaim, “Behold the Lambof God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” There were those who neverrested until, searching the Scriptures and comparing passage with passage, theysaw the meaning of Christ’s mission. They saw that free forgiveness was providedby Him whose tender mercy embraced the whole world. They read the propheciesregarding Christ, and the promises so free and full, pointing to a fountain openedfor Judah and Jerusalem.

The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which allother truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truthin the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light whichstreams from the cross of Calvary, and in connection with the wondrous, centraltruth of the Saviour’s atonement. Those who study the Redeemer’s wonderfulsacrifice grow in grace and knowledge.

I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration,salvation and redemption,—the Son of God uplifted on the cross of Calvary. Thisis to be the theme of every discourse.

Jesus is inviting and drawing by His Holy Spirit the hearts of young andold to Himself.... When Christ crucified is preached, the power of the gospel isdemonstrated by the influence it exerts over the believer. In place of remainingdead in trespasses and sins, he is awakened.

Lift up the Man of Calvary higher and still higher; there is power in theexaltation of the cross of Christ.

28

Reconciled To God By Christ’s Death, January 24

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of hisSon, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Romans 5:10.

The cross is invested with a power that language cannot express. Christ’ssacrifice in behalf of the human race puts to shame our meager efforts and methodsto meet and uplift humanity, to help sinful men and women to find Jesus.

The work of the sons and daughters of God must be of a different characterthan has yet been manifested by a large number. If they love Jesus, they will haveenlarged ideas of the love that has been expressed for fallen man, which requiredthe provision of so expensive an offering to save the human race. Our Saviourasks the cooperation of every son and daughter of Adam who has become a son [34]or daughter of God.... Our Saviour declares that He brought from heaven as adonation eternal life. He was to be lifted up upon the cross of Calvary to drawall men unto Him. How then shall we treat the purchased inheritance of Christ?Tenderness, appreciation, kindness, sympathy, and love should be shown to them.Then we may work to help and bless one another. In this work we have morethan human brotherhood. We have the exalted companionship of heavenly angels.They cooperate with us in the work of enlightening high and low.

Having engaged in the work, the amazing work of our redemption, Christdetermined in council with His Father to spare nothing, however costly, to withholdnothing however highly it might be estimated, that would rescue the poor sinner.He would give all heaven to this work of salvation, of restoring the moral imageof God in man.... To be a child of God is to be one with Christ in God, and to putforth our hands in earnest, self-sacrificing love to strengthen and bless the soulsthat are perishing in their sins.

29

True Missionary Effort Begins In The Home, January 25

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all thecommandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Luke 1:6.

In forming a relationship with Christ, the renewed man is but coming backto his appointed relationship with God.... His first duty is to his children and hisnearest relatives. Nothing can excuse him from neglecting the inner circle for thelarger circle outside. In the day of final reckoning fathers and mothers ... will beasked what they did and said to secure the salvation of the souls they took uponthemselves the responsibility of bringing into the world. Did they neglect theirlambs, leaving them to the care of strangers? ... A great good done for others willnot cancel the debt you owe to God to care for your children. The spiritual welfareof your family comes first.

In rightly training and molding the minds of her children, mothers are entrustedwith the greatest mission ever given to mortals.

Whenever you take up the duty that lies nearest you, then God will bless you,and hear your prayers. There are too many doing outside missionary work, whiletheir own households are left destitute of any such efforts,—going to ruin throughneglect.... The first missionary work is to see that love, light, and joy come intothe home circle. Let us not be looking for some great temperance or missionarywork to do until we have first done the duties at home. Every morning we should[35]think, What kind act can I do today? What tender word can I speak? Kind wordsat home are blessed sunshine. The husband needs them, the wife needs them, thechildren need them.... It ought to be the desire of every heart to make as muchheaven below as possible.

A soul saved in your own family circle or in your own neighborhood, by yourpatient, painstaking labor, will bring as much honor to the name of Christ, and willshine as brightly in your crown as if you had found that soul in China or India.

30

We Are To Do Good To Our Neighbors, January 26

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power ofthine hand to do it Proverbs 3:27.

So ready, so eager is the Saviour’s heart to welcome us as members of thefamily of God, that in the very first words we are to use in approaching God, Heplaces the assurance of our divine relationship,—“Our Father.” ... In calling Godour Father, we recognize all His children as our brethren. We are all a part ofthe great web of humanity, all members of one family. In our petitions we areto include our neighbors as well as ourselves. No one prays aright who seeks ablessing for himself alone.

We are bound to the Lord by the strongest ties, and the manifestation ofour Father’s love should call forth the most filial affection and the most ardentgratitude. The laws of God have their foundation in the most immutable rectitude,and are so framed that they will promote the happiness of those who keep them.

In the lesson of faith that Christ taught on the mount, are revealed the principlesof true religion. Religion brings man into personal relation with God, but notexclusively; for the principles of heaven are to be lived out, that they may helpand bless humanity. A true child of God will love Him with all his heart, and hisneighbor as himself. He will have an interest for his fellow-men. True religion isthe work of grace upon the heart, that causes the life to flow out in good works,like a fountain fed from living streams. Religion does not consist merely inmeditation and prayer. The Christian’s light is displayed in good works, and isthus recognized by others. Religion is not to be divorced from the business life.It is to pervade and sanctify its engagements and enterprises. If a man is trulyconnected with God and heaven, the spirit that dwells in heaven will influence allhis words and actions. He will glorify God in his works, and will lead others tohonor Him. [36]

31

Being United As Children Of God, January 27

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26.

We seldom find two persons exactly alike. Among human beings as well asamong the things of the natural world, there is diversity. Unity in diversity amongGod’s children—the manifestation of love and forbearance in spite of differenceof disposition—this is the testimony that God sent His Son into the world to savesinners.

The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy thepersonality of either. In mind, in purpose, in character, they are one, but not inperson. By partaking of the Spirit of God, conforming to the law of God, manbecomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ brings His disciples into a livingunion with Himself and with the Father. Through the working of the Holy Spiritupon the human mind, man is made complete in Christ Jesus. Unity with Christestablishes a bond of unity with one another. This unity is the most convincingproof to the world of the majesty and virtue of Christ, and of His power to takeaway sin.

The powers of darkness stand a poor chance against believers who love oneanother as Christ has loved them, who refuse to create alienation and strife, whostand together, who are kind, courteous, and tender-hearted, cherishing the faiththat works by love and purifies the soul. We must have the Spirit of Christ, or weare none of His.

In unity there is strength; in division there is weakness.The closer our union with Christ, the closer will be our union with one another.

Variance and disaffection, selfishness and conceit, are striving for supremacy.These are the fruits of a divided heart, open to the suggestions of the enemy ofsouls. Satan exults when he can sow seeds of dissension.

In unity there is a life, a power, that can be obtained in no other way.

32

Glad In The Lord, January 28

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord .Psalm 104:34.

Rest yourself wholly in the hands of Jesus. Contemplate His great love, andwhile you meditate upon His self-denial, His infinite sacrifice made in our behalfin order that we should believe in Him, your heart will be filled with holy joy,calm peace, and indescribable love. As we talk of Jesus, as we call upon Him inprayer, our confidence that He is our personal, loving Saviour will strengthen, and [37]His character will appear more and more lovely.... We may enjoy rich feasts oflove, and as we fully believe that we are His by adoption, we may have a foretasteof heaven. Wait upon the Lord in faith. The Lord draws out the soul in prayer,and gives us to feel His precious love. We have a nearness to Him, and can holdsweet communion with Him. We obtain distinct views of His tenderness andcompassion, and our hearts are broken and melted with contemplation of the lovethat is given to us. We feel indeed an abiding Christ in the soul.... Our peace islike a river, wave after wave of glory rolls into the heart, and indeed we sup withJesus and He with us. We have a realizing sense of the love of God, and we rest inHis love. No language can describe it, it is beyond knowledge. We are one withChrist, our life is hid with Christ in God. We have the assurance that when He whois our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. With strongconfidence, we can call God our Father. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.His Spirit makes us like Jesus Christ in temper, and disposition, and we representChrist to others. When Christ is abiding in the soul the fact cannot be hid; for Heis like a well of water springing up into everlasting life. We can but represent thelikeness of Christ in our character, and our words, our deportment, produces inothers a deep, abiding, increasing love for Jesus, and we make manifest ... that weare conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

33

Store The Mind With Divine Truth, January 29

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that bythese ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the

corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4.

It is the duty of every child of God to store his mind with divine truth; and themore he does this, the more strength and clearness of mind he will have to fathomthe deep things of God. And he will be more and more earnest and vigorous, asthe principles of truth are carried out in his daily life.

That which will bless humanity is spiritual life. He who is in harmony withGod, will constantly depend upon Him for strength. “Be ye therefore perfect,even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” It should be our life work to beconstantly reaching forward to the perfection of Christian character, ever strivingfor conformity to the will of God. The efforts begun here will continue througheternity. The advancement made here will be ours when we enter upon the futurelife.[38]

Those who are partakers of Christ’s meekness, purity, and love, will be joyfulin God, and will shed light and gladness upon all around them. The thought thatChrist died to obtain for us the gift of everlasting life, is enough to call forthfrom our hearts the most sincere and fervent gratitude, and from our lips the mostenthusiastic praise. God’s promises are rich, and full, and free. Whoever will, inthe strength of Christ, comply with the conditions, may claim these promises, withall their wealth of blessing, as his own. And being thus abundantly supplied fromthe treasure-house of God, he may, in the journey of life, “walk worthy of the Lordunto all pleasing;” by a godly example blessing his fellow-men, and honoring hisCreator. While our Saviour would guard His followers from self-confidence bythe reminder, “Without me, ye can do nothing,” He has coupled with it for ourencouragement the gracious assurance, “He that abideth in me ... bringeth forthmuch fruit.”

34

Trees Planted By Rivers Of Water, January 30

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth hisfruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth

shall prosper. Psalm 1:3.

Dangers beset every path, and he who comes off conqueror will indeed have atriumphant song to sing in the city of God. Some have strong traits of characterthat will need to be constantly repressed. If kept under the control of the Spiritof God, these traits will be a blessing; but if not, they will prove a curse. Ifthose who are now riding upon the wave of popularity do not become giddy, itwill be a miracle of mercy. If they lean to their own wisdom, as so many thussituated have done, their wisdom will prove to be foolishness. But while they shallgive themselves unselfishly to the work of God, never swerving in the least fromprinciple, the Lord will throw about them the everlasting arm and will prove tothem a mighty helper....

This is a dangerous age for any man who has talents which can be of valuein the work of God; for Satan is constantly plying his temptations upon such aperson, ever trying to fill him with pride and ambition; and when God would usehim, it is too often the case that he becomes independent and self-sufficient, andfeels capable of standing alone....

Prayer and effort, effort and prayer, will be the business of your life. You mustpray as though the efficiency and praise were all due to God, and labor as thoughduty were all your own. If you want power you may have it; it is waiting your draftupon it. Only believe in God, take Him at His word, act by faith, and blessings [39]will come.... Those who have a humble, trusting, contrite heart, God accepts, andhears their prayer; and when God helps, all obstacles will be overcome.... Theblessing of heaven, obtained by daily supplication, will be as the bread of life tothe soul and will cause them to increase in moral and spiritual strength, like a treeplanted by the river of waters.

35

We Shall Inherit All Things, January 31

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and heshall be my son (daughter). Revelation 21:7.

In order to inherit all things, we must resist and overcome sin.We may have joy in the Lord if we will keep His commandments. If we indeed

have our citizenship above, and a title to an immortal inheritance, an eternalsubstance, we have that faith which works by love and purifies the soul.... We aremembers of the heavenly family, children of the heavenly King, heirs of God, andjoint heirs with Christ. At His coming we shall have the crown of life that fadethnot away.

The Monarch of heaven would have you possess and enjoy all that can ennoble,expand, and exalt your being and fit you to dwell with Him forever, your existencemeasuring with the life of God. What a prospect is the life which is to come!What charms it possesses! How broad and deep and measureless is the love ofGod manifested to man!

The privileges granted to the children of God are without limit,—to be con-nected with Jesus Christ, who, throughout the universe of heaven and worlds thathave not fallen, is adored by every heart, and His praises sung by every tongue; tobe children of God, to bear His name, to become a member of the royal family; tobe ranged under the banner of Prince Immanuel, the King of kings and Lord oflords.

The Son of God was the heir of all things, and the dominion and glory of thekingdoms of this world were promised to Him.... Even as Christ was in the world,so are His followers. They are the sons of God, and joint heirs with Christ; andthe kingdom and dominion belong to them.

In place of the world, He will give you, for a life of obedience, the kingdomunder the whole heavens. He will give you an eternal weight of glory and a lifethat is as enduring as eternity.[40]

36

February—My Life Today

I Give My Heart, February 1

My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.Proverbs 23:26.

The Lord says to every one of you, “My son, give Me thine heart.” He seesyour disorders. He knows that your soul is diseased with sin, and He desires tosay to you, “Thy sins are forgiven.” The Great Physician has a remedy for everyill. He understands your case. Whatever may have been your errors, He knowshow to deal with them. Will you not trust yourself to Him?

The blessing of God will rest upon every soul that makes a full consecrationto Him. When we seek for God with all the heart, we shall find Him. God isin earnest with us, and He wants us to make thorough work for eternity. He haspoured out all heaven in one gift, and there is no reason why we should doubt Hislove. Look to Calvary....

God asks you to give Him your heart. Your powers, your talents, your affec-tions, should all be surrendered to Him, that He may work in you to will and to doof His good pleasure, and fit you for eternal life.

When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will be so filled with His love, with thejoy of communion with Him, that it will cleave to Him; and in the contemplationof Him, self will be forgotten. Love to Christ will be the spring of action. Thosewho feel the constraining love of God, do not ask how little may be given to meetthe requirements of God; they do not ask for the lowest standard, but aim at perfectconformity to the will of their Redeemer. With earnest desire they yield all, andmanifest an interest proportionate to the value of the object which they seek

It is the submissive, teachable spirit that God wants. That which gives to prayerits excellence is the fact that it is breathed from a loving, obedient heart.

38

Pray In The Morning, February 2

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will Idirect my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3.

The very first outbreathing of the soul in the morning should be for the presenceof Jesus. “Without Me,” He says, “ye can do nothing.” It is Jesus that we need; Hislight, His life, His spirit, must be ours continually. We need Him every hour. Andwe should pray in the morning that as the sun illuminates the landscape, and fills [41]the world with light, so the Sun of Righteousness may shine into the chambersof mind and heart, and make us all light in the Lord. We cannot do without Hispresence one moment. The enemy knows when we undertake to do without ourLord, and he is there, ready to fill our minds with his evil suggestions that we mayfall from our steadfastness; but it is the desire of the Lord that from moment tomoment we should abide in Him, and thus be complete in Him....

God designs that every one of us shall be perfect in Him, so that we mayrepresent to the world the perfection of His character. He wants us to be setfree from sin, that we may not disappoint Heaven, that we may not grieve ourdivine Redeemer. He does not desire us to profess Christianity, and yet not availourselves of that grace which is able to make us perfect, that we may be foundwanting in nothing.

Prayer and faith will do what no power on earth can accomplish. We areseldom, in all respects, placed in the same position twice. We continually havenew scenes and new trials to pass through, where past experience cannot be asufficient guide. We must have the continual light that comes from God. Christ isever sending messages to those who listen for His voice.

* * * * *It is a part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which

He would not bestow did we not thus ask.

39

The Bible Begets New Life, February 3

Being born again ... by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 1Peter 1:23.

In the Bible the will of God is revealed. The truths of the Word of God are theutterances of the Most High. He who makes these truths a part of his life becomesin every sense a new creature. He is not given new mental powers, but the darknessthat through ignorance and sin has clouded the understanding is removed. Thewords, “A new heart also will I give you,” mean, “A new mind will I give you.”A change of heart is always attended by a clear conviction of Christian duty, anunderstanding of truth. He who gives the Scriptures close, prayerful attention willgain clear comprehension and sound judgment, as if in turning to God he hadreached a higher plane of intelligence.

The Bible contains the principles that lie at the foundation of all true greatness,all true prosperity, whether for the individual or for the nation. The nation that[42]gives free room for the circulation of the Scriptures opens the way for the mindsof the people to develop and expand. The reading of the Scriptures causes lightto shine into the darkness. As the Word of God is searched, life-giving truths arefound. In the lives of those who heed its teachings there will be an undercurrentof happiness that will bless all with whom they are brought in contact.

Thousands have drawn water from these wells of life, yet there is no dimin-ishing of the supply. Thousands have set the Lord before them, and by beholdinghave been changed into the same image. Their spirit burns within them as theyspeak of His character, telling what Christ is to them and what they are to Christ....Thousands more may engage in the work of searching out the mysteries of salva-tion.... Each fresh search will reveal something more deeply interesting than hasyet been unfolded.

40

The Spirit To Glorify Christ In Me, February 4

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.John 16:14.

In these words Christ declares the crowning work of the Holy Spirit. The Spiritglorifies Christ by making Him the object of supreme regard, and the Saviourbecomes the delight, the rejoicing, of the human agent in whose heart is wroughtthis transformation....

Repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ are the fruits of the renewingpower of the grace of the Spirit. Repentance represents the process by which thesoul seeks to reflect the image of Christ to the world.

Christ gives them the breath of His own Spirit, the life of His own life. TheHoly Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in heart and mind. The graceof God enlarges and multiplies their faculties, and every perfection of the divinenature comes to their assistance in the work of saving souls. Through cooperationwith Christ they are complete in Him, and in their human weakness they areenabled to do the deeds of Omnipotence.

It should be the work of the Christian’s life to put on Christ and to bringhimself to a more perfect likeness of Christ. The sons and daughters of God are toadvance in their resemblance to Christ, our pattern. Daily they are to behold Hisglory and contemplate His incomparable excellence.

O that the baptism of the Holy Spirit might come upon you, that you might beimbued with the Spirit of God! Then day by day you will become more and moreconformed to the image of Christ, and in every action of your life the questionwould be, “Will it glorify my Master?” By patient continuance in well-doing you [43]would seek for glory and honor, and would receive the gift of immortality.

41

The Whole Earth Will Be Lightened, February 5

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, havinggreat power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. Revelation 18:1.

The end of all things is at hand. God is moving upon every mind that is open toreceive the impressions of His Holy Spirit. He is sending our messengers that theymay give the warning in every locality. God is testing the devotion of His churchesand their willingness to render obedience to the Spirit’s guidance. Knowledgeis to be increased. The messengers of Heaven are to be seen running to andfro, seeking in every possible way to warn the people of the coming judgmentsand presenting the glad tidings of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thestandard of righteousness is to be exalted. The Spirit of God is moving upon men’shearts, and those who respond to its influence will become lights in the world.Everywhere they are seen going forth to communicate to others the light they havereceived as they did after the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.And as they let their light shine, they receive more and more of the Spirit’s power.The earth is lighted with the glory of God.

This message will close with power and strength far exceeding the midnightcry. Servants of God, endowed with power from on high, with their faces lightedup, and shining with holy consecration, went forth to proclaim the message fromheaven.

Many were praising God. The sick were healed, and other miracles werewrought. A spirit of intercession was seen, even as was manifested before thegreat Day of Pentecost. Hundreds and thousands were seen visiting families andopening before them the Word of God. Hearts were convicted by the power ofthe Holy Spirit, and a spirit of genuine conversion was manifest. On every sidedoors were thrown open to the proclamation of the truth. The world seemed to belightened with the heavenly influence.[44]

42

Principle Not To Be Sacrificed For Peace, February 6

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth,give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 14:27.

There always have been and always will be two classes on the earth to theend of time—the believers in Jesus, and those who reject Him. Sinners, howeverwicked, abominable, and corrupt, by faith in Him will be purified, made clean,through the doing of His word.... Those who reject Christ and refuse to believethe truth will be filled with bitterness against those who accept Jesus as a personalSaviour. But those who receive Christ are melted and subdued by the manifestationof His love and His humiliation, suffering, and death in their behalf....

The peace that Christ gave to His disciples, and for which we pray, is thepeace that is born of truth, a peace that is not to be quenched because of division.Without may be wars and fightings, jealousies, envies, hatred, strife; but the peaceof Christ is not that which the world giveth or taketh away. It could endure amidthe hunting of spies and the fiercest opposition of His enemies.... Christ did notfor an instant seek to purchase peace by a betrayal of sacred trusts. Peace couldnot be made by a compromise of principles.... It is a grave mistake on the part ofthose who are children of God to seek to bridge the gulf that separates the childrenof light from the children of darkness by yielding principle, by compromisingthe truth. It would be surrendering the peace of Christ in order to make peace orfraternize with the world. The sacrifice is too costly to be made by the children ofGod to make peace with the world by giving up the principles of truth.... Thenlet the followers of Christ settle it in their minds that they will never compromisetruth, never yield one iota of principle for the favor of the world. Let them hold tothe peace of Christ

43

I Will Love As Christ Loved, February 7

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one toanother. John 13:35.

If we would be true lights in the world, we must manifest the loving, com-passionate spirit of Christ. To love as Christ loved means that we must practice[45]self-control. It means that we must show unselfishness at all times and in allplaces. It means that we must scatter round us kind words and pleasant looks.These cost the giver nothing, but they leave behind a precious fragrance. Theirinfluence for good cannot be estimated. Not only to the receiver, but to the giver,they are a blessing; for they react upon him. Genuine love is a precious attributeof heavenly origin, which increases in fragrance in proportion as it is dispensed toothers....

God desires His children to remember that in order to glorify Him, they mustbestow their affection on those who need it most. None with whom we comein contact are to be neglected. No selfishness in look, word, or deed is to bemanifested to our fellow beings, whatever their position, whether they be high orlow, rich or poor. The love that gives kind words to only a few, while others aretreated with coldness and indifference, is not love, but selfishness. It will not inany way work for the good of souls or the glory of God. We are not to confine ourlove to one or two objects.

Those who gather the sunshine of Christ’s righteousness, and refuse to let itshine into the lives of others, will soon lose the sweet, bright rays of heavenlygrace, selfishly reserved to be lavished upon a few.... Self should not be allowed togather to itself a select few, giving nothing to those who need help the most. Ourlove is not to be sealed up for special ones. Break the bottle, and the fragrancewill fill the house.

44

I Will Sing Unto The Lord, February 8

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth hisconversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. Psalm 50:23.

Come to Jesus just as you are, sinful, weak, and needy, and He will give youthe water of life. You want a faith that reaches through the hellish shadow thatSatan casts athwart your pathway. He is busily inventing amusements and fashionswhich will so take up men’s minds that they shall not be able to spare any time formeditation. Teach your children to glorify God, not to please themselves. Theyare His children—His by creation and by redemption. Teach them to shun theamusements and follies of this degenerate age. Keep their minds clean and purein the sight of God.... Praise God. Let your conversation, your music, your songsall praise Him who has done so much for us. Praise God here, and then you willbe fitted to join the heavenly choir when you enter the city of God. Then you cancast your glittering crowns at the feet of Jesus, take your golden harps, and fill all [46]heaven with melody. We shall praise Him with an immortal tongue.

As our Redeemer leads us to the threshold of the Infinite, flushed with the gloryof God, we may catch the themes of praise and thanksgiving from the heavenlychoir round about the throne; and as the echo of the angels’ song is awakened inour earthly homes, hearts will be drawn closer to the heavenly singers. Heaven’scommunion begins on earth. We learn here the keynote of its praise.

Praise the Lord; talk of His goodness; tell of His power. Sweeten the atmo-sphere that surrounds your soul.... Praise, with heart and soul and voice, Him whois the health of your countenance, your Saviour, and your God.

45

Growth In Grace Begins At Home, February 9

The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold fromthem that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11.

There are many who do not grow in grace because they fail of cultivating homereligion.

The members of the family are to show that they are in constant possession of apower received from Christ. They are to improve in every habit and practice, thusshowing that they keep constantly before them what it means to be a Christian.

Those who are Christians in the home will be Christians in the church and inthe world.

Grace can thrive only in the heart that is being constantly prepared for theprecious seeds of truth. The thorns of sin will grow in any soil; they need nocultivation; but grace must be carefully cultivated. The briers and thorns arealways ready to spring up, and the work of purification must advance continually.

That which will make the character lovely in the home is that which will makeit lovely in the heavenly mansions. If you are ... to be the light of the world, thatlight is to shine in your home. Here you are to exemplify the Christian graces,to be lovable, patient, kind, yet firm.... You need to seek constantly the highestculture of mind and soul.... As a humble child of God, learn in the school ofChrist; seek constantly to improve your powers, that you may do the most perfect,thorough work at home, by both precept and example.... Let the light of heavenlygrace irradiate your character, that there may be sunlight in the home.

The measure of your Christianity is gauged by the character of your home life.[47]The grace of Christ enables its possessors to make the home a happy place, full ofpeace and rest.

46

God Multiplies My Talents, February 10

Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over afew things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy

of thy lord. Matthew 25:21.

God has given us talents to use for Him. To one He gives five talents, toanother two, and to another one. Let not him who has but one talent think tohide it from God. The Lord knows where it is hidden. He knows that it is doingnothing for Him. When the Lord comes, He will ask His servants, What have youdone with the talents I entrusted to you? And as he who received five and he whoreceived two tell Him that by trading they have doubled their talents, He will sayto them, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a fewthings, I will make thee ruler over many things.... Enter thou into the joy of thyLord.” Thus He will say also to him who has improved the one talent lent him....

To him who has but one talent I would say, Do you know that one talent,rightly used and improved, will bring to the Lord one hundred talents? How? youask. Use your gift in the conversion of one man of intellect, who sees what Godis to him, and what he should be to God. Let him place himself on the side ofthe Lord, and as he imparts the light to others, he will be the means of bringingmany souls to the Saviour. Through the right use of one talent one hundred soulsmay receive the truth. It is not to those who have the greatest number of talents towhom the “Well done” is spoken, but to those who in sincerity and faithfulnesshave used their gifts for the Master....

There is a great work to be done in our world, and we are accountable forevery ray of light that shines upon our pathway. Impart that light, and you willreceive more light to impart. Great blessing will come to those who use theirtalents aright. [48]

47

Preserve The Body Temple, February 11

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of Goddwelleth in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16.

God has given you a habitation to care for and preserve in the best conditionfor His service and glory. Your bodies are not your own.... “Know ye not that yeare the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

Health is a blessing of which few appreciate the value.... Life is a holy trust,which God alone can enable us to keep, and to use to His glory. But He whoformed the wonderful structure of the body will take special care to keep it inorder if men do not work at cross-purposes with Him. Every talent entrusted to usHe will help us to improve and use in accordance to the will of the Giver.

Youth is the time to establish good habits, to correct wrong ones alreadycontracted, to gain and to hold the power of self-control, and to lay the plan, andaccustom one’s self to the practice of ordering all the acts of life with reference tothe will of God.

The sacred temple of the body must be kept pure and uncontaminated, thatGod’s Holy Spirit may dwell therein. We need to guard faithfully the Lord’sproperty, for any abuse of our powers shortens the time that our lives could be usedfor the glory of God. Bear in mind that we must consecrate all—soul, body, andspirit—to God. All is His purchased possession, and must be used intelligently,to the end that we may preserve the talent of life. By properly using our powersto their fullest extent in the most useful employment, by keeping every organ inhealth, by so preserving every organ that mind, sinew, and muscle shall workharmoniously, we may do the most precious service for God.

When we do all we can on our part to have health, then may we expect thatthe blessed results will follow, and we can ask God in faith to bless our efforts forthe preservation of health.

48

A Merry Heart Is Good Medicine, February 12

A merry [rejoicing]heart doeth good like a medicine. Proverbs 17:22.

The relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When [49]one is affected the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the healthto a far greater degree than many realize. Many of the diseases from which mensuffer are the result of mental depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse,guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death.

Disease is sometimes produced, and is often greatly aggravated, by the imagi-nation. Many are lifelong invalids who might be well if they only thought so....

Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health and prolong life. Acontented mind, a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and strength to the soul.

Gratitude, rejoicing, benevolence, trust in God’s love and care—these arehealth’s greatest safeguard.

The power of the will and the importance of self-control, both in the preser-vation and in the recovery of health, the depressing and even ruinous effect ofanger, discontent, selfishness, or impurity, and, on the other hand, the marvelouslife-giving power to be found in cheerfulness, unselfishness, gratitude, should alsobe shown.

There is a physiological truth—truth that we need to consider—in the scripture,“A merry [rejoicing]heart doeth good like a medicine.”

The true principles of Christianity open before all a source of inestimablehappiness.

We should encourage a cheerful, hopeful, peaceful frame of mind; for ourhealth depends upon our so doing.

49

Thanksgiving And Praise, February 13

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: bethankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4.

If we will consecrate heart and mind to the service of God, doing the workHe has for us to do and walking in the footsteps of Jesus, our hearts will becomesacred harps, every chord of which will send forth praise and thanksgiving to theLamb sent by God to take away the sins of the world....

Christ would have our thoughts center upon Him.... Look away from self toJesus Christ, the life of every blessing, every grace, the life of all that is preciousand valuable to the children of God....

The Lord Jesus is our strength and happiness, the great storehouse from which,on every occasion, men may draw strength. As we study Him, talk of Him,become more and more able to behold Him—as we avail ourselves of His graceand receive the blessings He proffers us, we have something with which to help[50]others. Filled with gratitude, we communicate to others the blessings that havebeen freely given us. Thus receiving and imparting, we grow in grace; and a richcurrent of praise and gratitude constantly flows from our lips; the sweet spirit ofJesus kindles thanksgiving in our hearts, and our souls are uplifted with a senseof security. The unfailing, inexhaustible righteousness of Christ becomes ourrighteousness by faith.

Let the fresh blessings of each new day awaken praise in our hearts for thesetokens of His loving care.

When you open your eyes in the morning, thank God that He has kept youthrough the night. Thank Him for His peace in your heart. Morning, noon, andnight let gratitude as a sweet perfume ascend to heaven....

The angels of God, thousands upon thousands, ... guard us against evil andpress back the powers of darkness that are seeking our destruction. Have wenot reason to be thankful every moment, thankful even when there are apparentdifficulties in our pathway?

50

Love Heals Many Wounds, February 14

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one thatloveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7.

From the Christian standpoint, love is power. Intellectual and spiritual strengthare involved in this principle. Pure love has special efficacy to do good, and can donothing but good. It prevents discord and misery and brings the truest happiness.Wealth is often an influence to corrupt and destroy; force is strong to do hurt; buttruth and goodness are the properties of pure love.

A man at peace with God and his fellow men cannot be made miserable. Envywill not be in his heart; evil surmising will find no room there; hatred cannot exist.The heart in harmony with God is lifted above the annoyances and trials of thislife.

That which Satan plants in the heart—envy, jealousy, evil surmising, evilspeaking, impatience, prejudice, selfishness, covetousness, and vanity—must beuprooted. If these evil things are allowed to remain in the soul, they will bear fruitby which many shall be defiled. Oh, how many cultivate the poisonous plants,that kill out the precious fruits of love and defile the soul!

Only the love that flows from the heart of Christ can heal. Only He in whomthat love flows, even as the sap in the tree or the blood in the body, can restore thewounded soul.

Love’s agencies have wonderful power, for they are divine. The soft answer [51]that “turneth away wrath,” the love that “suffereth long, and is kind,” the charitythat “covereth a multitude of sins”would we learn the lesson, with what power forhealing would our lives be gifted! How life would be transformed, and the earthbecome a very likeness and foretaste of heaven!

51

How Pleasant Are Words Fitly Spoken, February 15

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.Proverbs 25:11.

When at a feast, Christ controlled the conversation, and gave many preciouslessons. Those present listened to Him; for had He not healed their sick, comfortedtheir sorrowing, and taken their children in His arms? Publicans and sinners weredrawn to Him; and when He spoke, their attention was riveted on Him.

Christ taught His disciples how to conduct themselves when in the company ofothers. He instructed them in regard to the duties and regulations of true social life,which are the same as the laws of the kingdom of God. He taught the disciples,by example, that when attending any public gathering, they need not want forsomething to say. His conversation when at a feast differed most decidedly fromthat which had been listened to at feasts in the past. Every word He uttered was asavor of life unto life. He spoke with clearness and simplicity. His words were asapples of gold in pictures of silver.

Communion with Christ—how unspeakably precious! Such communion it isour privilege to enjoy.... When the early disciples heard the words of Christ, theyfelt their need of Him. They sought, they found, they followed Him. They werewith Him in the house, at the table, in the closet, in the field. They were with Himas pupils with a teacher, daily receiving from His lips lessons of holy truth. Theylooked to Him as servants to their master.... They served Him cheerfully, gladly.

Great importance is attached to our associations. We may form many thatare pleasant and helpful, but none are so precious as that by which finite man isbrought into connection with the infinite God. When thus united, the words ofChrist abide in us.... The result will be a purified heart, a circumspect life, and afaultless character. But it is only by acquaintance and association with Christ thatwe can become like Him, the one faultless example.[52]

52

Jesus And His Friends At Bethany, February 16

Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. John 11:5.

There was one home that He loved to visit—the home of Lazarus, and Mary,and Martha; for in the atmosphere of faith and love His spirit had rest.

Among the most steadfast of Christ’s disciples was Lazarus of Bethany. Fromtheir first meeting his faith in Christ had been strong; his love for Him was deep,and he was greatly beloved by the Saviour. It was for Lazarus that the greatest ofChrist’s miracles was performed. The Saviour blessed all who sought His help;He loves all the human family; but to some He is bound by peculiarly tenderassociations. His heart was knit by a strong bond of affection to the family atBethany, and for one of them His most wonderful work was wrought.

At the home of Lazarus, Jesus had often found rest. The Saviour had no homeof His own; He was dependent on the hospitality of His friends and disciples; andoften, when weary, thirsting for human fellowship, He had been glad to escapeto this peaceful household, away from the suspicion and jealousy of the angryPharisees. Here He found a sincere welcome, a pure, holy friendship. Here Hecould speak with simplicity and perfect freedom, knowing that His words wouldbe understood and treasured.

Our Saviour appreciated a quiet home and interested listeners. He longedfor human tenderness, courtesy, and affection. Those who received the heavenlyinstruction He was always ready to impart were greatly blessed.... The multitudeswere slow of hearing, and in the home at Bethany Christ found rest from the wearyconflict of public life. Here He opened to an appreciative audience the volumeof Providence. In these private interviews He unfolded to His hearers that whichHe did not attempt to tell to the mixed multitude. He needed not to speak to Hisfriends in parables.

53

Give Others The Water Of Life, February 17

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; butthe water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up

into everlasting life. John 4:14.[53]

In His talk with the Samaritan woman, instead of disparaging Jacob’s well,Christ presented something better.... He turned the conversation to the treasureHe had to bestow, offering the woman something better than she possessed, evenliving water, the joy and hope of the gospel.

How much interest Christ manifested in this one woman! How earnest andeloquent were His words! When the woman heard them, she left her waterpot andwent into the city, saying to those she met, “Come, see a man, which told me allthings that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” We read that many of the Samaritansof that city believed on Him. And who can estimate the influence that these wordshave exerted for the saving of souls in the years that have passed since then!

Jesus came in personal contact with men. He did not stand aloof and apartfrom those who needed His help. He entered the homes of men, comforted themourner, healed the sick, aroused the careless, and went about doing good. And ifwe follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we must do as He did. We must give men thesame kind of help that He did.

The Lord desires that His word of grace shall be brought home to every soul.To a great degree this must be accomplished by personal labor. This was Christ’smethod. His work was largely made up of personal interviews. He had a faithfulregard for the one-soul audience. Through that one soul the message was oftenextended to thousands.... There are multitudes who will never be reached by thegospel unless it is carried to them.

54

Remember Especially Needy Church Members, February 18

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especiallyunto them who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10.

In a special sense Christ has laid upon His church the duty of caring for theneedy among its own members. He suffers His poor to be in the borders of everychurch. They are always to be among us, and He places upon the members of thechurch a personal responsibility to care for them. As the members of a true familycare for one another, ministering to the sick, supporting the weak, teaching theignorant, training the inexperienced, so is the “household of faith” to care for itsneedy and helpless ones.

It is the duty of each church to make careful, judicious arrangements for thecare of its poor and sick.

Any neglect on the part of those who claim to be followers of Christ, a failureto relieve the necessities of a brother or a sister who is bearing the yoke of povertyand oppression, is registered in the books of heaven as shown to Christ in the [54]person of His saints. What a reckoning the Lord will have with many, very many,who present the words of Christ to others but fail to manifest tender sympathyand regard for a brother in the faith who is less fortunate and successful thanthemselves.

A true Christian is the poor man’s friend. He deals with his perplexed andunfortunate brother as one would deal with a delicate, tender, sensitive plant. Godwants His workers to move among the sick and suffering as messengers of Hislove and mercy. He is looking upon us, to see how we are treating one another,whether we are Christlike in our dealing with all, high or low, rich or poor, free orbond.

There is no question in regard to the Lord’s poor. They are to be helped inevery case where it will be for their benefit.

55

What God Loves Most Is A Beautiful Character, February 19

Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. Psalm 90:17.

God is a lover of the beautiful, but that which He most loves is a beautifulcharacter....It is beauty of character that shall not perish, but last through theceaseless ages of eternity.

The great Master-Artist has taken thought for the lilies, making them sobeautiful that they outshine the glory of Solomon. How much more does He carefor man, who is the image and glory of God. He longs to see His children reveal acharacter after His similitude. As the sunbeam imparts to the flowers their variedand delicate tints, so does God impart to the soul the beauty of His own character.

All who choose Christ’s kingdom of love and righteousness and peace, makingits interest paramount to all other, are linked to the world above, and every blessingneeded for this life is theirs. In the book of God’s providence, the volume of life,we are each given a page. That page contains every particular of our history; eventhe hairs of the head are numbered. God’s children are never absent from Hismind.

Worldly display, however imposing, is of no value in God’s sight. Above theseen and temporal He values the unseen and eternal. The former is of worth onlyas it expresses the latter. The choicest productions of art possess no beauty thatcan compare with the beauty of character, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit’sworking in the soul...

Christ came to the earth and stood before the children of men with the hoardedlove of eternity, and this is the treasure that, through our connection with Him, we[55]are to receive, to reveal, and to impart....

We are to be distinguished from the world because God has placed His sealupon us, because He manifests in us His own character of love.

56

Partakers Through God’s Promises, February 20

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that bythese ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the

corruption that is in the world through lust. 1 Peter 1:4.

Every promise that is in God’s book holds out to us the encouragement that wemay be partakers of the divine nature. This is the possibility—to rely upon God,to believe His Word, to work His works, and this we can do when we lay hold ofthe divinity of Christ. This possibility is worth more to us than all the riches inthe world. There is nothing on earth that can compare with it. As we lay hold ofthe power thus placed within our reach, we receive a hope so strong that we canrely wholly upon God’s promise; and laying hold of the possibilities there are inChrist, we become the sons and daughters of God....

He who truly believes in Christ is made partaker of the divine nature, andhas power that he can appropriate under every temptation. He will not fall undertemptation or be left to defeat. In time of trial he will claim the promises, and bythese escape the corruptions that are in the world through lust....

To make us partakers of the divine nature, heaven gave its most costly treasure.The Son of God laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown and came to our earthas a little child. He pledged Himself to live from infancy to manhood a perfectlife. He engaged to stand in a fallen world as the representative of the Father. AndHe would die in behalf of a lost race. What a work was this! ... I hardly know howto present these points; they are so wonderful, wonderful....

By His life of sacrifice and death of shame He has made it possible for us totake hold of His divinity, and to escape the corruption that is in the world throughlust.... If you are partakers of the divine nature, you will day by day be obtaining afitting for that life that measures with the life of God. Day by day you will purifyyour trust in Jesus and follow His example and grow into His likeness until youshall stand before Him perfected. [56]

57

Reverence For The House Of God, February 21

Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.Leviticus 19:30.

God is high and holy; and to the humble, believing soul, His house on earth,the place where His people meet for worship, is as the gate of heaven. The songof praise, the words spoken by Christ’s ministers, are God’s appointed agencies toprepare a people for the church above, for that loftier worship.

When the worshipers enter the place of meeting, they should do so withdecorum, passing quietly to their seats.... Common talking, whispering, andlaughing should not be permitted in the house of worship, either before or afterthe service. Ardent, active piety should characterize the worshipers.

If some have to wait a few minutes before the meeting begins, let them maintaina true spirit of devotion by silent meditation, keeping the heart uplifted to God inprayer that the service may be of special benefit to their own hearts and lead to theconviction and conversion of other souls. They should remember that heavenlymessengers are in the house. We all lose much sweet communion with God byour restlessness, by not encouraging moments of reflection and prayer....

Elevate the standard of Christianity in the minds of your children; help themto weave Jesus into their experience; teach them to have the highest reverencefor the house of God and to understand that when they enter the Lord’s house itshould be with hearts that are softened and subdued by such thoughts as these:“God is here; this is His house. I must have pure thoughts and holiest motives....This is the place where God meets with and blesses His people.” ...

Parents should not only teach, but command, their children to enter the sanctu-ary with sobriety and reverence.

Practice reverence until it becomes a part of yourself.

58

God Cares For Me, February 22

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I willstrengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right

hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10.

The Lord is in active communication with every part of His vast dominions. [57]He is represented as bending toward the earth and its inhabitants. He is listeningto every word that is uttered. He hears every groan; He listens to every prayer; Heobserves the movements of every one....

God has always had a care for His people.... Christ taught His disciples thatthe amount of divine attention given to any object is proportionate to the rankassigned to it in the creation of God. He called their attention to the birds of theair. Not a sparrow, He said, falls to the ground without the notice of our heavenlyFather. And if the little sparrow is regarded by Him, surely the souls of those forwhom Christ has died are precious in His sight. The value of man, the estimateGod places upon him, is revealed in the cross of Calvary....

God’s mercy and love for the fallen race have not ceased to accumulate, norlost their earthward direction.

It is true that disappointments will come; tribulation we must expect; but we areto commit everything, great and small, to God. He does not become perplexed bythe multiplicity of our grievances, nor overpowered by the weight of our burdens.His watchcare extends to every household, and encircles every individual; He isconcerned in all our business and our sorrows. He marks every tear; He is touchedwith the feeling of our infirmities. All the afflictions and trials that befall us hereare permitted, to work out His purposes of love toward us—“that we might bepartakers of His holiness,” and thus become participants in that fullness of joywhich is found in His presence.

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Christ My Elder Brother, February 23

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to

God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:17.

The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon everysoul who is turning his face toward Him as the Saviour. He knows by experiencewhat are the weaknesses of humanity, what are our wants, and where lies thestrength of our temptations.... He is watching over you, trembling child of God.Are you tempted? He will deliver. Are you weak? He will strengthen. Are youignorant? He will enlighten. Are you wounded? He will heal. The Lord “telleththe number of the stars”; and yet “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth uptheir wounds.”

Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Yourspirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be open for you to disentangle[58]yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless youknow yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavieryour burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon your Burden Bearer.

Circumstances may separate friends; the restless waters of the wide sea mayroll between us and them. But no circumstances, no distance, can separate us fromthe Saviour. Wherever we may be, He is at our right hand, to support, maintain,uphold, and cheer. Greater than the love of a mother for her child is Christ’s lovefor His redeemed. It is our privilege to rest in His love; to say, “I will trust Him;for He gave His life for me.”

Human love may change, but Christ’s love knows no change. When we cry toHim for help, His hand is stretched out to save.

He desires us to realize that He has returned to heaven as our Elder Brotherand that the measureless power given Him has been placed at our disposal.

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Angels Are Preparing Me For Eternity, February 24

Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bringthee into the place which I have prepared. Exodus 23:20.

All heaven is engaged in the work of preparing a people to stand in the day ofthe Lord’s preparation. The connection of heaven with earth seems very close....

The heavenly intelligences are waiting with almost impatient earnestness tomake Him known to the human agents, that they may be laborers together withthese heavenly angels in presenting Jesus—the world’s Redeemer, full of graceand truth....

The first tear of penitence for sins creates joy among the heavenly angels inthe courts of heaven. The heavenly messengers are ready to be on the wing tominister to the soul who is seeking Jesus....

Grand and glorious things hath God prepared for those who love Him. Angelsare looking forward with earnest expectation to the final triumph of the people ofGod, when seraphim and cherubim and the “ten thousand times ten thousand, andthousands of thousands” shall swell the anthems of the blessed and celebrate thetriumphs of the mediatorial achievements in the recovery of man.

Jesus counted the cost of the salvation of every son and daughter of Adam. Heprovided abundant means that, if they would but comply with the conditions, noneneed perish, but might have everlasting life.... Every heavenly intelligence worksas His agent to win man to God. [59]

The angels of glory find their joy in ... giving love and tireless watchcare tosouls that are fallen and unholy. Heavenly beings woo the hearts of men; theybring to this dark world light from the courts above; by gentle and patient ministrythey move upon the human spirit, to bring the lost into a fellowship with Christwhich is even closer than they themselves can know.

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In Christ There Is Strength, February 25

Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and heshall make peace with me. Isaiah 27:5.

The enemy cannot overcome the humble learner of Christ, the one who walksprayerfully before the Lord. Christ interposes Himself as a shelter, a retreat, fromthe assaults of the wicked one. The promise is given, “When the enemy shallcome in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” ...

Satan was permitted to tempt the too-confident Peter, as he had been permittedto tempt Job; but when that work was done he had to retire. Had Satan beensuffered to have his way, there would have been no hope for Peter. He would havemade complete shipwreck of faith. But the enemy dare not go one hairbreadthbeyond his appointed sphere. There is no power in the whole satanic force thatcan disable the soul that trusts, in simple confidence, in the wisdom that comesfrom God.

Christ is our tower of strength, and Satan can have no power over the soulthat walks with God in humility of mind. The promise, “Let him take hold ofMy strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace withMe.” In Christ there is perfect and complete help for every tempted soul. Dangersbeset every path, but the whole universe of heaven is standing on guard, that nonemay be tempted above that which he is able to bear. Some have strong traits ofcharacter, that will need to be constantly repressed. If kept under the control of theSpirit of God, these traits will be a blessing; but if not, they will prove a curse....If we will give ourselves unselfishly to the work, never swerving in the least fromprinciple, the Lord will throw about us the everlasting arms, and will prove amighty helper. If we will look to Jesus as the One in whom we may trust, He willnever fail us in any emergency.[60]

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The Will Is The Deciding Power, February 26

Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing ofyour mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and

perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2.

There is nothing that can keep you away from God but a rebellious will.The will is the governing power in the nature of man. If the will is set right,

all the rest of the being will come under its sway. The will is not the taste or theinclination, but it is the choice, the deciding power, the kingly power, which worksin the children of men unto obedience to God or to disobedience.

You will be in constant peril until you understand the true force of the will.You may believe and promise all things, but your promises and your faith are ofno account until you put your will on the right side. If you will fight the fight offaith with your will power, there is no doubt that you will conquer.

Your part is to put your will on the side of Christ. When you yield your willto His, He immediately takes possession of you, and works in you to will and todo of His good pleasure. Your nature is brought under the control of His Spirit.Even your thoughts are subject to Him. If you cannot control your impulses, youremotions, as you may desire, you can control the will, and thus an entire changewill be wrought in your life. When you yield up your will to Christ, your life ishid with Christ in God. It is allied to the power which is above all principalitiesand powers. You have a strength from God that holds you fast to His strength; anda new life, even the life of faith, is possible to you.

You can never be successful in elevating yourself, unless your will is on theside of Christ, cooperating with the Spirit of God. Do not feel that you cannot;but say, “I can, I will.” And God has pledged His Holy Spirit to help you in everydecided effort.

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Make Your Calling And Election Sure, February 27

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling andelection sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance

shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting[61]

kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:10, 11.Here a life insurance policy is offered us which insures for us eternal life in

the kingdom of God. I ask you to study these words of the apostle Peter. Thereis understanding and intelligence in every sentence. By taking hold upon theLifegiver, who gave His life for us, we receive eternal life.

We are each deciding our eternal destiny, and it rests wholly with us whetherwe shall gain eternal life. Will we live the lessons given in the Word of God,Christ’s great lesson book? It is the grandest, and yet the most simply arranged andeasily understood book ever prepared for giving an education in proper behaviour,in speech, in manners, in affection. It is the only book that will prepare humanbeings for the life that measures with the life of God. And those who make thisWord their daily study are the only ones who are worthy of receiving a diplomaentitling them to educate and train the children for entrance into the higher school,to be crowned as victorious overcomers.

Christ Jesus is the only judge of the fitness of human agents to receive eternallife. The gates of the holy city will open to those who have been humble, meek,lowly followers of His, having learned their lessons from Him, and received fromHim their life insurance policy, forming characters after the divine similitude.

When the ransomed are redeemed from the earth, the city of God will beopened to you.... Then the harp will be placed in your hand, and your voice will beraised in songs of praise to God and to the Lamb, by whose great sacrifice you aremade partakers of His nature and given an immortal inheritance in the kingdom ofGod.

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Christ Presents Me With A Crown And Harp, February 28

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which theLord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but

unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8.

Before entering the city of God the Saviour bestows upon His followers theemblems of victory and invests them with the insignia of their royal state. Theglittering ranks are drawn up in the form of a hollow square about their King,whose form rises in majesty high above saint and angel, whose countenancebeams upon them full of benignant love. Throughout the unnumbered host of theredeemed every glance is fixed upon Him, every eye beholds His glory whose“visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons ofmen.” Upon the heads of the overcomers Jesus with His own right hand places [62]the crown of glory. For each there is a crown, bearing his own “new name,” andthe inscription, “Holiness to the Lord.” In every hand are placed the victor’s palmand the shining harp. Then, as the commanding angels strike the note, everyhand sweeps the harp strings with skillful touch, awaking sweet music in rich,melodious strains. Rapture unutterable thrills every heart, and each voice is raisedin grateful praise: “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in Hisown blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Himbe glory and dominion for ever and ever.”

Oh, what joy unspeakable, to see Him whom we loved—to see Him in Hisglory who so loved us that He gave Himself for us—to behold those hands oncepierced for our redemption stretched out to us in blessing and welcome!

Those who ... place themselves in God’s hands ... will see the King in Hisbeauty. They will behold His matchless charms, and touching their golden harps,they will fill all heaven with rich music and with songs to the Lamb

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Privilege Of Open Communion With God, February 29

I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are thetemple of it. Revelation 21:22.

The people of God are privileged to hold open communion with the Fatherand the Son. “Now we see through a glass, darkly.” We behold the image of Godreflected, as in a mirror, in the works of nature and in His dealings with men; butthen we shall see Him face to face, without a dimming veil between. We shallstand in His presence and behold the glory of His countenance.

We may address Him by the endearing name, “Our Father,” which is a signof our affection for Him and a pledge of His tender regard and relationship to us.And the Son of God, beholding the heirs of grace, “is not ashamed to call thembrethren.” They have even a more sacred relationship to God than have the angelswho have never fallen.

All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generationthrough the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which haveopened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean whencompared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God.

Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ. The longer we are[63]in the heaven of bliss, the more and still more of glory will be opened to us; andthe more we know of God, the more intense will be our happiness.

And what is the happiness of heaven but to see God? What greater joy couldcome to the sinner saved by the grace of Christ than to look upon the face of Godand know Him as Father?

How much comfort it gives to behold Him here by the eye of faith, that wemay by beholding be made like Him, but what will it be to behold Him as He is,without one dimming veil between?

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March—The Faith I Live By

A Table Set Before Me, March 1

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I willraise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is

drink indeed. John 6:54, 55.

Eternal life is the receiving of the living elements in the Scriptures, the doingof the will of God. This is what is meant by eating the flesh and drinking the bloodof the Son of God. It is the privilege of all to partake of the bread of heaven bystudying the Word, and thus gain spiritual sinew and muscle.

Each one must appropriate the blessing to his own soul, or he will not be fed....You know you would not be nourished by seeing a well-spread table, and by otherseating. We would starve if we did not partake of physical nourishment, and weshall lose our spiritual strength and vitality if we do not feed on spiritual bread....

The table has been spread, and Christ invites you to the feast. Shall we standback, refusing bounties, and declaring, “He does not mean this for me?” We usedto sing a hymn that described a feast where a happy household gathered to partakeof the bounties of the board at a kind father’s invitation. While the happy childrengathered at the table, there stood a hungry beggar child at the threshold. She wasinvited to come in; but sadly she turned away, exclaiming, “I have no father there.”Will you take this position as Jesus invites you in? Oh! if you have a Father in thecourts above, I entreat you to reveal the fact. He wants to make you a partaker ofHis rich bounties and blessings. All who come with the confiding love of a littlechild will find a Father there.

Come to the water of life, and drink. Do not stay away and complain of thirst.The water of life is free to all.

Those who eat and digest this Word, making it a part of every action and ofevery attribute of character, grow strong in the strength of God. It gives immortal[64]vigor to the soul, perfecting the experience, and bringing joys that will abideforever.

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Preparing For The Holy Day, March 2

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8.

At the very beginning of the fourth commandment the Lord said, “Remember.”He knew that amid the multitude of cares and perplexities man would be temptedto excuse himself from meeting the full requirement of the law, or would forgetits sacred importance. Therefore He said: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep itholy.”

All through the week we are to have the Sabbath in mind and be makingpreparation to keep it according to the commandment....

When the Sabbath is thus remembered, the temporal will not be allowed toencroach upon the spiritual. No duty pertaining to the six working days will beleft for the Sabbath. During the week our energies will not be so exhausted intemporal labor that on the day when the Lord rested and was refreshed we shallbe too weary to engage in His service....

On Friday let the preparation for the Sabbath be completed. See that all theclothing is in readiness and that all the cooking is done.... The Sabbath is not tobe given to the repairing of garments, to the cooking of food, to pleasure seeking,or to any other worldly employment. Before the setting of the sun let all secularwork be laid aside and all secular papers be put out of sight. Parents, explain yourwork and its purpose to your children, and let them share in your preparation tokeep the Sabbath according to the commandment.

There is another work that should receive attention on the preparation day. Onthis day all differences between brethren, whether in the family or in the church,should be put away. Let all bitterness and wrath and malice be expelled from thesoul. In a humble spirit, “confess your faults one to another, and pray one foranother.”

Before the setting of the sun let the members of the family assemble to readGod’s Word, to sing and pray.

We should jealously guard the edges of the Sabbath. Remember that everymoment is consecrated, holy time. [65]

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God’s Gift To The Human Race, March 3

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, thatwhosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16.

The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger thandeath. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift.

Through that gift there comes to us day by day the unfailing flow of Jehovah’sgoodness. Every flower, with its delicate tints and sweet fragrance, is given forour enjoyment through that one Gift. The sun and moon were made by Him; thereis not a star that beautifies the heavens which He did not make. There is not anarticle of food upon our tables that He has not provided for our sustenance. Thesuperscription of Christ is upon it all. Everything is supplied to man through theone unspeakable Gift, the only-begotten Son of God. He was nailed to the crossthat all these bounties might flow to God’s workmanship.

In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie thatis never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. “God soloved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” He gave Him not only tobear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him to the fallen race. Toassure us of His immutable counsel of peace, God gave His only-begotten Sonto become one of the human family, forever to retain His human nature. This isthe pledge that God will fulfill His word. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a sonis given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder.” Isaiah 9:6. God hasadopted human nature in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into thehighest heaven.... Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded inthe bosom of Infinite Love.

Christ bowed down in unparalleled humility, that in His exaltation to the throneof God, He might also exalt those who believe in Him, to a seat with Him uponHis throne.

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The Creator Incarnate, March 4

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God wasmanifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached

[66]unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:16.

The incarnation of Christ is the mystery of all mysteries.Christ was one with the Father, yet ... He was willing to step down from the

exaltation of one who was equal with God.That He might accomplish His purpose of love for the fallen race, He became

bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.How wide is the contrast between the divinity of Christ and the helpless infant

in Bethlehem’s manger! How can we span the distance between the mighty Godand a helpless child? And yet the Creator of worlds, He in whom was the fullnessof the Godhead bodily, was manifest in the helpless babe in the manger. Far higherthan any of the angels, equal with the Father in dignity and glory, and yet wearingthe garb of humanity! Divinity and humanity were mysteriously combined, andman and God became one.

It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to takeman’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus acceptedhumanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Likeevery child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law ofheredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors.He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give usthe example of a sinless life.

Those who claim that it was not possible for Christ to sin, cannot believe thatHe really took upon Himself human nature. But was not Christ actually tempted,not only by Satan in the wilderness, but all through His life, from childhood tomanhood?

Our Saviour took humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man,with the possibility of yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear which Hehas not endured.

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The Saving Providences Of God, March 5

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.

The fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord Jesus seesin us something precious which He desires to develop. If He saw in us nothingwhereby He might glorify His name, He would not spend time in refining us. He[67]does not cast worthless stones into His furnace. It is valuable ore that He refines.

God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, ifthey could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purposewhich they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.

All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to comebe made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find explanation. Themysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds discoveredonly confusion and broken promises, we shall see the most perfect and beautifulharmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemedmost trying.

He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. The blow thatis aimed at him falls upon the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence.Whatever comes to him comes from Christ. He has no need to resist evil, forChrist is his defense. Nothing can touch him except by our Lord’s permission, and“all things” that are permitted “work together for good to them that love God.”

Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which weknow nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of Godsupreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet.

As a little child, trust to the guidance of Him who will “keep the feet of hissaints.” 1 Samuel 2:9.

As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps.

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A Saviour From Eternity, March 6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessedus with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he

hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should beholy and without blame before him in love. Ephesians 1:3, 4.

Since the Fall the Lord has wrought out His will in the plan of redemption,a plan by which He is seeking to restore man to his original perfection. Christ’sdeath on the cross has made it possible for God to receive and pardon everyrepentant soul.

As the divine Sufferer hung upon the cross, angels gathered about Him, and asthey looked upon Him, and heard His cry, they asked, with intense emotion, “Willnot the Lord Jehovah save Him?” ... Then were the words spoken: “The Lord hathsworn, and He will not repent. Father and Son are pledged to fulfill the terms of [68]the everlasting covenant. God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begottenSon, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”Christ was not alone in making His great sacrifice. It was the fulfillment of thecovenant made between Him and His Father before the foundation of the worldwas laid. With clasped hands they had entered into the solemn pledge that Christwould become the surety for the human race if they were overcome by Satan’ssophistry.

The salvation of the human race has ever been the object of the councils ofheaven. The covenant of mercy was made before the foundation of the world. Ithas existed from all eternity, and is called the everlasting covenant. So surely asthere never was a time when God was not, so surely there never was a momentwhen it was not the delight of the eternal mind to manifest His grace to humanity.

The more we consider this subject, the greater depths we find, and yet thereare depths that we do not reach as we study the Redeemer’s glory. It is theglory of the Prince of life, and the mightiest powers of man cannot reach it. Theangels themselves desire to look into this mysterious and wonderful theme, theredemption of the human race.

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Does Faith Cancel Obedience?, March 7

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establishthe law. Romans 3:31.

Faith is not an opiate, but a stimulant. Looking to Calvary will not quiet yoursoul into nonperformance of duty, but will create faith that will work, purifyingthe soul from all selfishness.

The faith in Christ which saves the soul is not what it is represented to beby many. “Believe, believe,” is their cry; “only believe in Christ, and you willbe saved. It is all you have to do.” While true faith trusts wholly in Christ forsalvation, it will lead to perfect conformity to the law of God.

There are two errors against which the children of God—particularly thosewho have just come to trust in His grace—especially need to guard. The first ...is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bringthemselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to become holy by his ownworks in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility.... It is the grace of Christalone, through faith, that can make us holy.

The opposite and no less dangerous error is that belief in Christ releases menfrom keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the[69]grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption.

But notice here that obedience is not a mere outward compliance, but theservice of love. The law of God is an expression of His very nature; it is anembodiment of the great principle of love, and hence is the foundation of Hisgovernment in heaven and earth.... Instead of releasing man from obedience, it isfaith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enablesus to render obedience.

As Jesus was in human nature, so God means His followers to be. In Hisstrength we are to live the life of purity and nobility which the Saviour lived.

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The Saving Power Of Jesus, March 8

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength ismade perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my

infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Our precious Saviour has invited us to join ourselves to Him and unite ourweakness with His strength, our ignorance with His wisdom, our unworthinesswith His merit.

Rigid precision in obeying the law would entitle no man to enter the kingdomof heaven.

There must be a new birth, a new mind through the operation of the Spirit ofGod, which purifies the life and ennobles the character. This connection with Godfits man for the glorious kingdom of heaven. No human invention can ever find aremedy for the sinning soul.

There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, beforemen can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alonecan quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness....The idea that it is necessary only to develop the good that exists in man by nature,is a fatal deception. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they arespiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14.... Of Christ it is written, “In him waslife; and the life was the light of men”the only “name under heaven given amongmen, whereby we must be saved.” John 1:4; Acts 4:12....

Paul the apostle ... longed for the purity, the righteousness, to which in himselfhe was powerless to attain, and he cried out, “O wretched man that I am! whoshall deliver me from this body of death?” Romans 7:24, margin. Such is the crythat has gone up from burdened hearts in all lands and in all ages. To all, there [70]is but one answer, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of theworld.” John 1:29.

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Peace Through The Cross, March 9

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1.

If sinners can be led to give one earnest look at the cross, if they can obtain afull view of the crucified Saviour, they will realize the depth of God’s compassionand the sinfulness of sin.

As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seensomething of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look uponit with abhorrence.... You long to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free.Harmony with God, likeness to Him—what can you do to obtain it?

It is peace that you need—Heaven’s forgiveness and peace and love in thesoul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it;you can never hope, by your own efforts, to secure it. But God offers it to you as agift, “without money and without price.” Isaiah 55:1....

Go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins, and give you a new heart.Then believe that He does this because He has promised .... It is our privilege togo to Jesus and be cleansed, and to stand before the law without shame or remorse.

When at the foot of the cross the sinner looks up to the One who died to savehim, he may rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling infaith at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain.

Thank God for the gift of His dear Son, and pray that He may not have diedfor you in vain. The spirit invites you today. Come with your whole heart to Jesus,and you may claim His blessing.

As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of unutterablelove and pity.... Yes, only believe that God is your helper. He wants to restore Hismoral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance,He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness.[71]

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Filled With His Righteousness, March 10

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for theyshall be filled. Matthew 5:6.

Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and “God is love.” 1 John 4:16. Itis conformity to the law of God, for “all thy commandments are righteousness”(Psalm 119:172), and “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). Righ-teousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. The righteousness ofGod is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him.

Not by painful struggles or wearisome toil, not by gift or sacrifice, is righ-teousness obtained; but it is freely given to every soul who hungers and thirsts toreceive it. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath nomoney; come ye, buy, and eat;... without money and without price.” Isaiah 55:1.“Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord,” and, “This is his name whereby heshall be called, The Lord our righteousness.” Isaiah 54:17; Jeremiah 23:6.

No human agent can supply that which will satisfy the hunger and thirst of thesoul. But Jesus says, . . “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall neverhunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:35....

The more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal of character and themore earnest our longing to reflect His likeness. A divine element combines withthe human when the soul reaches out after God and the longing heart can say, “Mysoul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” Psalm 62:5....

The continual cry of the heart is, “More of Thee,” and ever the Spirit’s answeris, “Much more.” Romans 5:9, 10.... It was the good pleasure of the Fatherthat in Christ should “all the fulness dwell,” and “in him ye are made full.”Colossians 1:19, R.V.; 2:10, R.V.

Christ is the great depository of justifying righteousness and sanctifying grace.All may come to Him, and receive of His fullness. [72]

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The Just Shall Live By Faith, March 11

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.Colossians 2:6.

Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness—all depend upon our union withChrist. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly—by abiding in Him—that weare to grow in grace. He is not only the author, but the finisher of our faith. It isChrist first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning andthe end of our course, but at every step of the way....

Do you ask, “How am I to abide in Christ?” In the same way as you receivedHim at first. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye inhim.” Colossians 2:6. “The just shall live by faith.” Hebrews 10:38. You gaveyourself to God, to be His wholly, to serve and obey Him, and you took Christas your Saviour. You could not yourself atone for your sins or change your heart;but having given yourself to God, you believe that He for Christ’s sake did allthis for you. By faith you became Christ’s, and by faith you are to grow up inHim—by giving and taking. You are to give all—your heart, your will, yourservice—give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must takeall—Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength,your righteousness, your everlasting helper—to give you power to obey.

Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work.Let your prayer be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans atThy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work bewrought in Thee.” This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself toGod for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up asHis providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life intothe hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the lifeof Christ.

78

Sincere Confession Essential, March 12

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and tocleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9.

The apostle says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, [73]that ye may be healed.” James 5:16. Confess your sins to God, who only canforgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to yourfriend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely toforgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother youhave wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you have sinned againsthis Creator.... True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledgesparticular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only;they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have sufferedinjury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then beas publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point,acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty.

Many, many confessions should never be spoken in the hearing of mortals; forthe result is that which the limited judgment of finite beings does not anticipate....God will be better glorified if we confess the secret, inbred corruption of the heartto Jesus alone than if we open its recesses to finite, erring man, who cannot judgerighteously unless his heart is constantly imbued with the Spirit of God.... Do notpour into human ears the story which God alone should hear.

The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to theGod of infinite pity.

Your sins may be as mountains before you; but if you humble your heart,and confess your sins, trusting in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, Hewill forgive, and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness.... Desire the fullnessof the grace of Christ. Let your heart be filled with an intense longing for Hisrighteousness.

79

A Change Of Heart Needed, March 13

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except aman be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3.

Nicodemus held a high position of trust in the Jewish nation.... With others,he had been stirred by the teaching of Jesus....The lessons that had fallen from theSaviour’s lips had greatly impressed him, and he desired to learn more of thesewonderful truths...

Nicodemus had come to the Lord thinking to enter into a discussion with Him,but Jesus laid bare the foundation principles of truth. He said to Nicodemus, It isnot theoretical knowledge you need so much as spiritual regeneration. You need[74]not to have your curiosity satisfied, but to have a new heart. You must receive anew life from above before you can appreciate heavenly things.

The change of heart represented by the new birth can be brought about only bythe effectual working of the Holy Spirit.... Pride and self-love resist the Spirit ofGod; every natural inclination of the soul opposes the change from self-importanceand pride to the meekness and lowliness of Christ. But if we would travel in thepathway to eternal life, we must not listen to the whispering of self. In humilityand contrition we must beseech our heavenly Father, “Create in me a clean heart,O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10. As we receive divinelight, and cooperate with the heavenly intelligences, we are “born again,” freedfrom the defilement of sin by the power of Christ.

The mighty power of the Holy Spirit works an entire transformation in thecharacter of the human agent, making him a new creature in Christ Jesus.... Thewords and actions express the love of the Saviour. There is no striving for thehighest place. Self is renounced. The name of Jesus is written on all that is saidand done.

Is not this, the renewal of man, the greatest miracle that can be performed?What cannot the human agent do who by faith takes hold of the divine power?

80

Holiness Of Life, March 14

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see theLord. Hebrews 12:14.

No one who claims holiness is really holy. Those who are registered as holyin the books of heaven are not aware of the fact, and are the last ones to boast oftheir own goodness.

It is not a conclusive evidence that a man is a Christian because he manifestsspiritual ecstasy under extraordinary circumstances. Holiness is not rapture: itis an entire surrender of the will to God; it is living by every word that proceedsfrom the mouth of God; it is doing the will of our heavenly Father; it is trustingGod in trial, in darkness as well as in the light; it is walking by faith and not bysight; it is relying on God with unquestioning confidence, and resting in His love.

No one can be omnipotent, but all can cleanse themselves from filthinessof the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. God requiresevery soul to be pure and holy. We have hereditary tendencies to wrong. This isa part of self that no one need carry about. It is a weakness of humanity to petselfishness, because it is a natural trait of character. But unless all selfishness is [75]put away, unless self is crucified, we can never be holy as God is holy. There is inhumanity a tendency to suspicious imagining, which circumstances quicken intolively growth. If this trait is indulged, it spoils the character and ruins the soul.

God requires moral perfection in all. Those who have been given light andopportunities should, as God’s stewards, aim for perfection, and never, never lowerthe standard of righteousness to accommodate inherited and cultivated tendenciesto wrong. Christ took upon Him our human nature, and lived our life, to show usthat we may be like Him.... We ought to be holy even as God is holy; and whenwe comprehend the full significance of this statement, and set our heart to do thework of God, to be holy as He is holy, we shall approach the standard set for eachindividual in Christ Jesus.

81

The Arrow Of Death, March 15

O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would considertheir latter end! Deuteronomy 32:29.

The Lord “doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” Lamenta-tions 3:33. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fearhim. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Psalm 103:13,14. He knows our heart, for He reads every secret of the soul.... He knows the endfrom the beginning. Many will be laid away to sleep before the fiery ordeal of thetime of trouble shall come upon our world....

If Jesus, the world’s Redeemer, prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, letthis cup pass from me,” and added, “nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt”(Matthew 26:39), how very appropriate it is for finite mortals to make the samesurrender to the wisdom and will of God.

We have but a brief lifetime here, and we know not how soon the arrow ofdeath may strike our hearts. We know not how soon we may be called to give upthe world and all its interests. Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about tobe lifted. But a few short years, and for everyone now numbered with the livingthe mandate will go forth: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: ... and he thatis righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”Revelation 22:11.

Are we prepared? Have we become acquainted with God, the Governor ofheaven, the Lawgiver, and with Jesus Christ whom He sent into the world as Hisrepresentative? When our lifework is ended, shall we be able to say, as did Christour example:

“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest[76]me to do.... I have manifested thy name”? John 17:4-6.

The angels of God are seeking to attract us from ourselves and from earthlythings. Let them not labor in vain.

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Sorrow With Hope, March 16

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them whichare asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 1

Thessalonians 4:13.

To the afflicted ones I would say, be of good comfort in the hope of theresurrection morning. The waters of which you have been drinking are as bitter toyour taste as were the waters of Marah to the children of Israel in the wilderness,but Jesus can make them so sweet with His love....

God has provided a balm for every wound. There is a balm in Gilead, there isa Physician there. Will you not now as never before study the Scriptures? Seek theLord for wisdom in every emergency. In every trial plead with Jesus to show youa way out of your troubles, then your eyes will be opened to behold the remedyand to apply to your case the healing promises that have been recorded in HisWord. In this way the enemy will find no place to lead you into mourning andunbelief, but instead you will have faith and hope and courage in the Lord. TheHoly Spirit will give you clear discernment that you may see and appropriateevery blessing that will act as an antidote to grief, as a branch of healing to everydraught of bitterness that is placed to your lips. Every draught of bitterness willbe mingled with the love of Jesus, and in place of complaining of the bitterness,you will realize that Jesus’ love and grace are so mingled with sorrow that it hasbeen turned into subdued, holy, sanctified joy.

When Henry White, our eldest son, lay dying, he said, “A bed of pain is aprecious place when we have the presence of Jesus.” When we are obliged to drinkof the bitter waters, turn away from the bitter to the precious and the bright. Intrial grace can give the human soul assurance, and when we stand at the deathbedand see how the Christian can bear suffering and go through the valley of death,we gather strength ... and we fail not, neither are we discouraged in leading soulsto Jesus. [77]

83

Uttermost Salvation For God’s Children, March 17

But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto Godby him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:24,

25.

Every provision has been made for our infirmities, every encouragementoffered us to come to Christ.

Christ offered up His broken body to purchase back God’s heritage, to giveman another trial.... By His spotless life, His obedience, His death on the crossof Calvary, Christ interceded for the lost race. And now, not as a mere petitionerdoes the Captain of our salvation intercede for us, but as a Conqueror claimingHis victory. His offering is complete, and as our Intercessor He executes Hisself-appointed work, holding before God the censer containing His own spotlessmerits and the prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving of His people. Perfumedwith the fragrance of His righteousness, these ascend to God as a sweet savor. Theoffering is wholly acceptable, and pardon covers all transgression.

Christ has pledged Himself to be our substitute and surety, and He neglects noone. He who could not see human beings exposed to eternal ruin without pouringout His soul unto death in their behalf, will look with pity and compassion uponevery soul who realizes that he cannot save himself.

He will look upon no trembling suppliant without raising him up. He whothrough His own atonement provided for man an infinite fund of moral power,will not fail to employ this power in our behalf. We may take our sins and sorrowsto His feet; for He loves us. His every look and word invites our confidence. Hewill shape and mold our characters according to His own will.

In the whole satanic force there is not power to overcome one soul who insimple trust casts himself on Christ. “He giveth power to the faint; and to themthat have no might he increaseth strength.” Isaiah 40:29.

84

The Blotting Out Of Sins, March 18

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I willnot blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name

before my Father, and before his[78]

angels. Revelation 3:5.As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have

believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first livedupon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, andcloses with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated.Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon thebooks of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out ofthe book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the bookof God’s remembrance....

All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ astheir atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the booksof heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and theircharacters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will beblotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life....

The divine Intercessor presents the plea that all who have overcome throughfaith in His blood be forgiven their transgressions, that they be restored to theirEden home, and crowned as joint heirs with Himself to the “first dominion.” ...

While Jesus is pleading for the subjects of His grace, Satan accuses thembefore God as transgressors....

Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and,claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father andthe holy angels, saying, “I know them by name.” ... Their names stand enrolled inthe book of life, and concerning them it is written, “They shall walk with me inwhite: for they are worthy.” Revelation 3:4.

Christians may daily cultivate faith by contemplating the One who has under-taken their cause, their “merciful and faithful high priest.”

85

Schemes Of Satan, March 19

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8.

It is unsafe to trust to feelings or impressions; these are unreliable guides.God’s law is the only correct standard of holiness. It is by this law that characteris to be judged. If an inquirer after salvation were to ask, “What must I do toinherit eternal life?” the modern teachers of sanctification would answer, “Onlybelieve that Jesus saves you.” But when Christ was asked this question He said,“What is written in the law? how readest thou?” And when the questioner replied,“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, ... and thy neighbour as[79]thyself,” Jesus said, “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” Luke10:26-28.

No value is attached to a mere profession of faith in Christ; only the lovewhich is shown by works is counted genuine. Yet it is love alone which in thesight of Heaven makes any act of value....

The hidden selfishness of men stands revealed in the books of heaven.... Sad isthe record which angels bear to heaven. Intelligent beings, professed followers ofChrist, are absorbed in the acquirement of worldly possessions or the enjoymentof earthly pleasures. Money, time, and strength are sacrificed for display andself-indulgence; but few are the moments devoted to prayer, to the searching ofthe Scriptures, to humiliation of soul and confession of sin.

Satan invents unnumbered schemes to occupy our minds, that they may notdwell upon the very work with which we ought to be best acquainted. Thearchdeceiver hates the great truths that bring to view an atoning sacrifice andan all-powerful Mediator. He knows that with him everything depends on hisdiverting minds from Jesus and His truth.

Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour’s mediation should permitnothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God.

86

Deposits In The Bank Of Heaven, March 20

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit thefatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted

from the world. James 1:27.

The tender sympathies of our Saviour were aroused for fallen and sufferinghumanity. If you would be His followers, you must cultivate compassion andsympathy.... The widow, the orphan, the sick, and the dying will always need help.Here is an opportunity to proclaim the gospel—to hold up Jesus, the hope andconsolation of all men. When the suffering body has been relieved, ... the heart isopened, and you can pour in the heavenly balm.

A company of believers may be poor, uneducated, and unknown; yet in Christthey may do a work in the home, the neighborhood, the church, and even in “theregions beyond,” whose results will be as far-reaching as eternity. It is becausethis work is neglected that so many young disciples never advance beyond themere alphabet of Christian experience. The light which was glowing in their ownhearts when Jesus spoke to them, “Thy sins be forgiven thee,” they might have [80]kept alive by helping those in need. The restless energy that is so often a source ofdanger to the young might be directed into channels through which it would flowout in streams of blessing.

The hours so often spent in amusement that refreshes neither body nor soulshould be spent in ... seeking to help someone who is in need.

Every opportunity to help a brother in need, or to aid the cause of God in thespread of the truth, is a pearl that you can send beforehand, and deposit in thebank of heaven for safe-keeping.

Love, courtesy, self-sacrifice—these are never lost. When God’s chosen onesare changed from mortality to immortality, their words and deeds of goodness willbe made manifest, and will be preserved through the eternal ages.... Through themerits of Christ’s imputed righteousness, the fragrance of such words and deedsis forever preserved.

87

What Kind Of Inheritance?, March 21

And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order thechild, and how shall we do unto him? Judges 13:12.

The words spoken to the wife of Manoah contain a truth that the mothers oftoday would do well to study.

The child will be affected for good or for evil by the habits of the mother.She must herself be controlled by principle, and must practice temperance andself-denial, if she would seek the welfare of her child.

If before the birth of her child she is unstable, if she is selfish, peevish, andexacting, the disposition of her child will bear the marks of her wrong course....But if she unswervingly adheres to the right, if she is kind, gentle, and unselfish,she will give her child these traits of character.

And fathers as well as mothers are involved in this responsibility. Both parentstransmit their own characteristics, mental and physical, their dispositions andappetites, to their children.... The inquiry of every father and mother should be,“What shall we do unto the child that shall be born unto us?” The effect of prenatalinfluences has been by many lightly regarded; but the instruction sent from heavento those Hebrew parents ... shows how the matter is looked upon by our Creator.

The mother who is a fit teacher for her children must, before their birth, formhabits of self-denial and self-control; for she transmits to them her own qualities,her own strong or weak traits of character. The enemy of souls understands thismatter much better than do many parents. He will bring temptations upon themother, knowing that if she does not resist him, he can through her affect her child.[81]The mother’s only hope is in God. She may flee to Him for grace and strength.She will not seek help in vain. He will enable her to transmit to her offspringqualities that will help them to gain success in this life and to win eternal life.

88

Day Of Days, March 22

And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, thatye may know that I am the Lord your God. Ezekiel 20:20.

The Sabbath should be made so interesting to our families that its weeklyreturn will be hailed with joy.

The Sabbath school and the meeting for worship occupy only a part of theSabbath. The portion remaining to the family may be made the most sacred andprecious season of all the Sabbath hours.

In the minds of the children the very thought of the Sabbath should be boundup with the beauty of natural things.... Happy the father and mother who can teachtheir children God’s written word with illustrations from the open pages of thebook of nature; who can gather under the green trees, in the fresh, pure air, tostudy the Word and to sing the praise of the Father above.

In pleasant weather let parents walk with their children in the fields and groves.Amid the beautiful things of nature tell them the reason for the institution of theSabbath. Describe to them God’s great work of creation. Tell them that when theearth came from His hand, it was holy and beautiful. Every flower, every shrub,every tree, answered the purpose of its Creator.... Show that it was sin whichmarred God’s perfect work; that thorns and thistles, sorrow and pain and death,are all the result of disobedience to God. Bid them see how the earth, thoughmarred with the curse of sin, still reveals God’s goodness.

If we can cultivate within us a beauty of soul corresponding to the beauty ofnature around us, there will be a blending of the divine and human agencies.

As the sun goes down, let the voice of prayer and the hymn of praise mark theclose of the sacred hours and invite God’s presence through the cares of the weekof labor.

Thus parents can make the Sabbath, as it should be, the most joyful day of theweek. They can lead their children to regard it as a delight, the day of days, theholy of the Lord, honorable. [82]

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A Welcome To The Heavenly Home, March 23

Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth mayenter in. Isaiah 26:2.

The life on earth is the beginning of the life in heaven.We are children of the heavenly King, members of the royal family, heirs of

God, and joint heirs with Christ. The mansions Jesus has gone to prepare are toreceive only those who are true, who are pure, who love and obey His words....If we would enjoy eternal bliss, we must cultivate religion in the home.... Peace,harmony, affection, and happiness should be perseveringly cherished every day,until these precious things abide in the hearts of those who compose the family.

That which will make the character lovely in the home is that which will makeit lovely in the heavenly mansions.

If we manifest the character of Christ here, keeping all the commandments ofGod, we shall be cheered and blessed with glimpses of the pleasant home in themansions Jesus has gone to prepare.

Let all that is beautiful in our earthly home remind us of the crystal river andgreen fields, the waving trees and the living fountains, the shining city and thewhite-robed singers, of our heavenly home—that world of beauty which no artistcan picture, no mortal tongue describe.

There the loves and sympathies that God has planted in the soul will find truestand sweetest exercise. The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonioussocial life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages, the sacredfellowship that binds together “the whole family in heaven and earth”all are amongthe experiences of the hereafter.... With unutterable delight we shall enter into thejoy and the wisdom of unfallen beings.

It is the privilege of parents to take their children with them to the gates of thecity of God, saying, “I have tried to instruct my children to love the Lord, to doHis will, and to glorify Him.” To such the gate will be thrown open, and parentsand children will enter in.

90

Who Shall Receive God’s Seal?, March 24

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of theliving God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom

[83]it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither thesea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.Revelation 7:2, 3.

The seal of the living God will be placed upon those only who bear a likenessto Christ in character.

As wax takes the impression of the seal, so the soul is to take the impressionof the Spirit of God and retain the image of Christ.

It is obedience to the principles of the commandments of God, that molds thecharacter after the divine similitude.

The seal of God’s law is found in the fourth commandment. This only, of allthe ten, brings to view both the name and the title of the Lawgiver. It declaresHim to be the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and thus shows His claim toreverence and worship above all others. Aside from this precept, there is nothingin the Decalogue to show by whose authority the law is given.

The Israelites placed over their doors a signature of blood, to show that theywere God’s property. So the children of God in this age will bear the signature Godhas appointed. They will place themselves in harmony with God’s holy law. Amark is placed upon every one of God’s people just as verily as a mark was placedover the doors of the Hebrew dwellings, to preserve the people from the generalruin. God declares, “I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them,that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” Ezekiel 20:12.

Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads—it is not anyseal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually andspiritually, so they cannot be moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed andprepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgmentsof God are now upon the land, ... that we may know what is coming.

91

Jesus’ Example In Humility, March 25

If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought towash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do

as I have done to you. John 13:14, 15.

There is in man a disposition to esteem himself more highly than his brother,to work for self, to seek the highest place; and often this results in evil surmisingsand bitterness of spirit. The ordinance preceding the Lord’s Supper is to clearaway these misunderstandings, to bring man out of his selfishness, down from[84]his stilts of self-exaltation, to the humility of heart that will lead him to serve hisbrother.

The ordinance of feet washing most forcibly illustrates the necessity of true hu-mility. While the disciples were contending for the highest place, in the promisedkingdom, Christ girded Himself, and performed the office of a servant by washingthe feet of those who called Him Lord.

Reconciliation one with another is the work for which the ordinance of feetwashing was instituted.... Whenever it is celebrated, Christ is present by His HolySpirit. It is this Spirit that brings conviction to hearts.

As Christ celebrated this ordinance with His disciples, conviction came to thehearts of all save Judas. So we shall be convicted as Christ speaks to our hearts. Thefountains of the soul will be broken up. The mind will be energized, and, springinginto activity and life, will break down every barrier that has caused disunion andalienation. Sins that have been committed will appear with more distinctness thanever before; for the Holy Spirit will bring them to our remembrance.

Having washed the disciples’ feet, He [Jesus]said, “I have given you anexample, that ye should do as I have done to you.” ... Christ was here instituting areligious service. By the act of our Lord this humiliating ceremony was made aconsecrated ordinance. It was to be observed by the disciples, that they might everkeep in mind His lessons of humility and service.

92

Builders, Not Destroyers, March 26

And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shaltraise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The

repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. Isaiah 58:12.

Has God no living church? He has a church, but it is the church militant, notthe church triumphant. We are sorry that there are defective members....While theLord brings into the church those who are truly converted, Satan at the same timebrings persons who are not converted into its fellowship. While Christ is sowingthe good seed, Satan is sowing the tares. There are two opposing influencescontinually exerted on the members of the church. One influence is working forthe purification of the church, and the other for the corrupting of the people ofGod....

Although there are evils existing in the church, and will be until the end of theworld, the church in these last days is to be the light of the world that is pollutedand demoralized by sin.... [85]

There is but one church in the world who are at the present time standing inthe breach, and making up the hedge, building up the old waste places; and for anyman to call the attention of the world and other churches to this church, denouncingher as Babylon, is to do a work in harmony with him who is the accuser of thebrethren....The whole world is filled with hatred of those who proclaim the bindingclaims of the law of God, and the church who are loyal to Jehovah must engage inno ordinary conflict... Those who have any realization of what this warfare means,will not turn their weapons against the church militant, but with all their powerswill wrestle with the people of God against the confederacy of evil.

Those who start up to proclaim a message on their own individual responsi-bility, who, while claiming to be taught and led of God, still make it their specialwork to tear down that which God has been for years building up, are not doingthe will of God. Be it known that these men are on the side of the great deceiver.Believe them not.

93

Tears And Conflict, March 27

Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, andtemptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews. Acts 20:19.

From the days of Adam to our own time, our great enemy has been exercisinghis power to oppress and destroy. He is now preparing for his last campaignagainst the church.

The better to disguise his real character and purposes, he has caused himselfto be so represented as to excite no stronger emotion than ridicule or contempt.He is well pleased to be painted as a ludicrous or loathsome object, misshapen,half animal and half human.

If Satan was so cunning at first, what must he be now, after gaining an expe-rience of many thousands of years? Yet God and holy angels, and all those whoabide in obedience to all the Lord’s will, are wiser than he.

All who are actively engaged in the cause of God, seeking to unveil thedeceptions of the evil one and to present Christ before the people, will be ableto join in the testimony of Paul, in which he speaks of serving the Lord with allhumility of mind, with many tears and temptations....

The tempter has no power to control the will or to force the soul to sin. Hemay distress, but he cannot contaminate. He can cause agony, but not defilement.

Satan cannot read our thoughts, but he can see our actions, hear our words;and from his long knowledge of the human family, he can shape his temptations totake advantage of our weak points of character. And how often do we let him into[86]the secret of how he may obtain the victory over us. Oh, that we might control ourwords and actions!

Satan assailed Christ with his fiercest and most subtle temptations; but he wasrepulsed in every conflict. Those battles were fought in our behalf; those victoriesmake it possible for us to conquer. Christ will give strength to all who seek it.

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Safety Only In Obedience, March 28

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open untotheir prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 1

Peter 3:12.

No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer. Especially should weentreat the Lord for wisdom to understand His Word. Here are revealed the wilesof the tempter, and the means by which he may be successfully resisted. Satan isan expert in quoting Scripture, placing his own interpretation upon passages, bywhich he hopes to cause us to stumble. We should study the Bible with humility ofheart, never losing sight of our dependence upon God. While we must constantlyguard against the devices of Satan, we should pray in faith continually, “Lead usnot into temptation.”

When Balaam, allured by the promise of rich rewards, practiced enchantmentsagainst Israel, and by sacrifices to the Lord sought to invoke a curse upon Hispeople, the Spirit of God forbade the evil which he longed to pronounce, andBalaam was forced to exclaim: “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?”Numbers 23:8....

The people of Israel were at this time loyal to God; and so long as theycontinued in obedience to His law, no power in earth or hell could prevail againstthem. But the curse which Balaam had not been permitted to pronounce againstGod’s people, he finally succeeded in bringing upon them by seducing theminto sin. When they transgressed God’s commandments, then they separatedthemselves from Him, and they were left to feel the power of the destroyer.

Satan is well aware that the weakest soul who abides in Christ is more thana match for the hosts of darkness.... Only in humble reliance upon God, andobedience to all His commandments, can we be secure.

Let none deceive themselves with the belief that God will pardon and blessthem while they are trampling upon one of His requirements. The willful commis-sion of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separates thesoul from God. [87]

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A Crown For Every Saint, March 29

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shallreceive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love

him. James 1:12.

I saw a very great number of angels bring from the city glorious crowns—acrown for every saint, with his name written thereon. As Jesus called for thecrowns, angels presented them to Him, and with His own right hand the lovelyJesus placed the crowns on the heads of the saints. In the same manner the angelsbrought the harps, and Jesus presented them also to the saints. The commandingangels first struck the note, and then every voice was raised in grateful, happypraise, and every hand skillfully swept over the strings of the harp, sending forthmelodious music in rich and perfect strains....

Within the city there was everything to feast the eye. Rich glory they beheldeverywhere. Then Jesus looked upon His redeemed saints; their countenanceswere radiant with glory; and as He fixed His loving eyes upon them, He said, withHis rich, musical voice, “I behold the travail of My soul, and am satisfied. Thisrich glory is yours to enjoy eternally. Your sorrows are ended. There shall be nomore death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” ...

I then saw Jesus leading His people to the tree of life.... Upon the tree of lifewas most beautiful fruit, of which the saints could partake freely, in the city was amost glorious throne, from which proceeded a pure river of water of life, clear ascrystal. On each side of this river was the tree of life, and on the banks of the riverwere other beautiful trees bearing fruit....

Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a description of heaven. As thescene rises before me, I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassingsplendor and excellent glory, I lay down the pen, and exclaim, “Oh, what love!what wondrous love!” The most exalted language fails to describe the glory ofheaven or the matchless depths of a Saviour’s love.[88]

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The Eternal Weight Of Glory, March 30

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a farmore exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17.

I was pointed to the glory of heaven, to the treasure laid up for the faithful.Everything was lovely and glorious. The angels would sing a lovely song, thenthey would cease singing and take their crowns from their heads and cast themglittering at the feet of the lovely Jesus, and with melodious voices cry, “Glory,Alleluia!” I joined with them in their songs of praise and honor to the Lamb,and every time I opened my mouth to praise Him, I felt an unutterable senseof the glory that surrounded me. It was a far more, an exceeding and eternalweight of glory. Said the angel, “The little remnant who love God and keep Hiscommandments and are faithful to the end will enjoy this glory and ever be in thepresence of Jesus and sing with the holy angels.”

Then my eyes were taken from the glory, and I was pointed to the remnant onthe earth. The angel said to them, “... Get ready, get ready, get ready. Ye musthave a greater preparation than ye now have, for the day of the Lord cometh, cruelboth with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate and to destroy the sinnersthereof out of it. Sacrifice all to God. Lay all upon His altar—self, property, andall, a living sacrifice. It will take all to enter glory. Lay up for yourselves treasurein heaven, where no thief can approach or rust corrupt. Ye must be partakers ofChrist’s sufferings here if ye would be partakers with Him of His glory hereafter.”

Heaven will be cheap enough, if we obtain it through suffering. We must denyself all along the way, die to self daily, let Jesus alone appear, and keep His glorycontinually in view.

The work of salvation is not child’s play, to be taken hold of at will and letalone at pleasure. It is the steady purpose, the untiring effort, that will gain thevictory at last. It is he who endureth to the end that shall be saved. It is theywho patiently continue in well-doing that shall have eternal life and the immortalreward.

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No More Death—Ever!, March 31

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be nomore death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more

pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4.[89]

In the home of the redeemed there will be no tears, no funeral trains, no badgesof mourning. “The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell thereinshall be forgiven their iniquity.” Isaiah 33:24. One rich tide of happiness will flowand deepen as eternity rolls on....

Let us consider most earnestly the blessed hereafter. Let our faith piercethrough every cloud of darkness and behold him who died for the sins of the world.He has opened the gates of Paradise to all who receive and believe on Him.... Letthe afflictions which pain us so grievously become instructive lessons, teaching usto press forward toward the mark of the prize of our high calling in Christ. Let usbe encouraged by the thought that the Lord is soon to come. Let this hope gladdenour hearts....

We are homeward bound. He who loved us so much as to die for us hathbuilded for us a city. The New Jerusalem is our place of rest. There will be nosadness in the city of God. No wail of sorrow, no dirge of crushed hopes andburied affections, will evermore be heard. Soon the garments of heaviness will bechanged for the wedding garment. Soon we shall witness the coronation of ourKing. Those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this earthhave fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer’s glory inthe kingdom of God.

It will not be long till we shall see Him in whom our hopes of eternal life arecentered. And in His presence, all the trials and sufferings of this life will be asnothingness.... Look up, look up, and let your faith continually increase. Let thisfaith guide you along the narrow path that leads through the gates of the city ofGod into the great beyond, the wide, unbounded future of glory that is for theredeemed.

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April—Our High Calling

Compassed With God’s Mercy, April 1

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord,mercy shall compass him about. Psalm 32:10 .

We often think that those who serve God have more trials than the unbeliever,and that the path marked out for them to travel in is rugged.... But does the sinnerenjoy his worldly pleasure and enjoyment unalloyed? Oh, no. There are timeswhen the sinner is fearfully troubled. He fears God but does not love Him .

Are the wicked free from disappointment, perplexity, earthly losses, poverty,and distress? Many of them suffer a lingering sickness, yet have no strong andmighty One to lean upon, no strengthening grace from a higher power to supportthem in their weakness. They lean upon their own strength. They obtain noconsolation by looking forward to the future, but a fearful uncertainty torments[90]them; and thus they close their eyes in death, not finding any pleasure in lookingforward to the resurrection morn, for they have no cheering hope that they shallhave part in the first resurrection....

The Christian is subject to sickness, disappointment, poverty, reproach, anddistress. Yet amid all this he loves God, he chooses to do His will, and prizesnothing so highly as His approbation. In the conflicting trials and changing scenesof this life, he knows that there is One who knows it all, One who will bend Hisear low to the cry of the sorrowful and distressed, One who can sympathize withevery sorrow and soothe the keen anguish of every heart....

Amid all his affliction, the Christian has strong consolation. And if Godpermits him to suffer a lingering, distressing sickness before he closes his eyesin death, he can with cheerfulness bear it all.... He contemplates the future withheavenly satisfaction. A short rest in the grave, and then the Life-giver will breakthe fetters of the tomb, release the captive, and bring him from his dusty bedimmortal, never more to know pain, sorrow, or death. Oh, what a hope is theChristian’s! Let this hope of the Christian be mine. Let it be yours

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Hope For The Hopeless, April 2

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: andlet him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our

God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not yourthoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. Isaiah 55:7, 8.

It is your thought that your mistakes and transgressions have been so grievousthat the Lord will not have respect unto your prayers, and will bless and saveyou.... The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your owneyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broadand distinct contrast to His perfect nature. But do not be discouraged. This isevidence that Satan’s delusions have lost their power; that the vivifying influenceof the Spirit of God is arousing you, and your indifference and unconcern arepassing away.

No deep-seated love for Jesus can dwell in the heart that does not see andrealize its own sinfulness. The soul that is transformed by grace will admire Hisdivine character; but if we do not see our own moral deformity, it is unmistakableevidence that we have not had a view of the beauty and excellence of Christ. Theless we see to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in the infinitepurity and loveliness of our Saviour. A view of our own sinfulness drives us to [91]Him who can pardon....

God does not deal with us as finite men deal with one another. His thoughts arethoughts of mercy, love, and tenderest compassion. “He will abundantly pardon.”He says, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions.” ...

Look up, you who are tried, tempted, and discouraged, look up.... It is eversafe to look up; it is fatal to look down. If you look down, the earth reels andsways beneath you; nothing is sure. But heaven above you is calm and steady, andthere is divine aid for every climber. The hand of the Infinite is reaching over thebattlements of heaven to grasp yours in its strong embrace. The mighty Helper isnigh to bless, lift up, and encourage the most erring, the most sinful, if they willlook to Him by faith. But the sinner must look up

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Enjoyment Of The Truth, April 3

Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fearthy name. Psalm 86:11.

Say with your whole heart, “I will walk in Thy truth.” Every resolution ex-pressed in the fear of God will give strength to purpose and to faith. It will tendto stimulate and to humble, to strengthen and confirm. “I will walk in thy truth.”Truth deserves our confidence none the less because the world is flooded withfables. Because error and counterfeit are in circulation it only evidences the factthat there is truth, genuine truth, somewhere....

It is not enough for us to hear the truth only. God requires of us obedience.“Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” Luke 11:28. “If ye knowthese things, happy are ye if ye do them.” John 13:17.

We may walk in the enjoyment of the truth. It need not be to us a yoke ofbondage, but a consolation, a message to us of glad tidings of great joy, animatingour hearts and causing us to make melody in our hearts unto God. Throughpatience and comfort of the Scriptures we have hope. The Christian hope is notgloomy, comfortless. Oh, no, no. It does not shut us up in a prison of doubts andfears. The truth makes free those who love and are sanctified through it. Theywalk in the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

We who claim to believe the truth should reveal its fruits in our words andcharacter. We are to be far advanced in a knowledge of Jesus Christ, in thereception of His love for God and for our neighbor, in order to have the sunlight ofheaven shining in our daily life. Truth must reach down to the deepest recesses of[92]the soul, and cleanse away everything unlike the spirit of Christ, and the vacuumbe supplied by the attributes of His character who was pure and holy and undefiled,that all the springs of the heart may be as flowers, fragrant with perfume, a sweet-smelling savor, a savor of life unto life.

It is truth enshrined in the soul that makes one a man of God.

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Let Jesus Lead, April 4

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comethunto the Father, but by me. John 14:6.

Oh, that we who are pilgrims and strangers in this foreign country ... mightcomprehend Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. He says, “No man comethunto the Father, but by me.” The path He has marked out is so plain and distinctthat the veriest sinner, loaded with guilt, need not miss his way. Not one tremblingseeker need fail of finding the true path, and of walking in pure and holy light, forJesus leads the way.

The path is so narrow, so holy, that sin cannot be tolerated therein, yet accessto the path has been made for all, and not one desponding, doubting, tremblingsoul needs to say, “God cares nought for me.” Every soul is precious in His sight....When Satan was triumphing as the prince of the world, when he claimed theworld as his kingdom, when we were all marred and corrupted with sin, God sentHis messenger from heaven, even His only begotten Son, to proclaim to all theinhabitants of the world, “I have found a ransom. I have made a way of escape forall the perishing. I have your emancipation papers provided for you, sealed by theLord of heaven and earth.” ...

It is not because there is any flaw in the title which has been purchased foryou that you do not accept it. It is not because the mercy, the grace, the love ofthe Father and the Son is not ample, and has not been freely bestowed, that youdo not rejoice in pardoning love.... If you are lost, it will be because you will notcome unto Christ that you might have life.

God waits to bestow the blessing of forgiveness of sins, of pardon for iniquity,of the gift of righteousness upon all who will believe in His love, and accept of Hissalvation. Christ is ready to say to the repenting sinner, “... Behold, I have causedthine iniquity to pass from thee....” Zechariah 3:4-7. Christ is the connecting linkbetween God and man. The blood of Jesus Christ is the eloquent plea that speaksin behalf of sinners. [93]

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In Love With Christ, April 5

For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Hebrews 7:26.

The character of Christ was one of unexampled excellence, embracing every-thing pure, true, lovely, and of good report. We have no knowledge of His evervisiting a party of pleasure or a dance hall, and yet He was the perfection of graceand courtly bearing. Christ was no novice; He was distinguished for the highintellectual powers He possessed even in the morning of His life. His youth wasnot wasted in indolence, neither was it wasted in sensual pleasure, self-indulgence,or frittered away in things of no profit. Not one of His hours from childhood tomanhood was misspent, none were misappropriated....

Jesus was sinless and had no dread of the consequences of sin. With thisexception His condition was as yours. You have not a difficulty that did not presswith equal weight upon Him, not a sorrow that His heart has not experienced.His feelings could be hurt with neglect, with indifference of professed friends, aseasily as yours. Is your path thorny? Christ’s was so in a tenfold sense. Are youdistressed? So was He. How well fitted was Christ to be an example! ...

The Inspired Record says of Him: “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature,and in favour with God and man.” Luke 2:52. As He grew in years He grewin knowledge. He lived temperately; His precious hours were not wasted indissipating pleasures. He had a truly healthy body and true powers of mind. Thephysical and mental powers could be expanded and developed as yours or anyother youth’s. The Word of God was His study, as it should be yours.

Take Jesus as your standard. Imitate His life. Fall in love with His character.Walk as Christ walked. A new spring will be given to your intellectual faculties, alarge scope to your thoughts, when you bring your powers into vigorous contactwith eternal things which are intrinsically grand and great.

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The Privilege Of Assurance, April 6

And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heartsbefore him. 1 John 3:19.

I would impress upon our young men and young women the necessity ofmaking their calling and election sure. I would beseech you to do no haphazard or [94]uncertain work where your eternal interests are involved. By so doing you losehappiness, peace, comfort, and hope in this life, and you lose also your immortalinheritance.

My young friends, you are judgment bound, and through the grace of Christyou may render obedience to the commands of God, and daily gain fortitude andstrength of character, so that you need not fail or be discouraged. Divine gracehas been abundantly provided for every soul, so that each one may engage in theconflict and come off victorious. Do not become sluggish; do not flatter yourselvesthat you may be saved in walking in accordance with the natural traits of yourcharacter—that you may drift with the current of the world, and indulge and pleaseself, and yet be able to withstand the forces of evil in a time of crisis, and comeoff victorious when the battle waxes hot.... You must learn every day to obey theorders of the Captain of the Lord’s host.

My young friends, do you pray? Are you educating yourselves to offerpetitions for pure thoughts, for holy aspirations, for a pure heart and clean hands?Are you educating your lips to sing the praises of God, and are you seeking to dothe will of God? This is the kind of education that will be of the greatest value toyou; for it will aid you in the formation of Christlike character.

Do not settle down in Satan’s easy chair, and say that there is no use, youcannot cease to sin, that there is no power in you to overcome. There is no powerin you apart from Christ, but it is your privilege to have Christ abiding in yourheart by faith, and He can overcome sin in you, when you cooperate with Hisefforts.... You may be living epistles, known and read of all men. You are not tobe a dead letter, but a living one, testifying to the world that Jesus is able to save.

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God Calls For Our Best Affections, April 7

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love theother; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve

God and mammon. Matthew 6:24.

Many are on the enchanted ground of the enemy. Things of the leastimportance—foolish social parties, singing, jesting, joking—engross their mindsand they serve God with a divided heart.... The declaration of Christ, “No mancan serve two masters,” is unheeded.

One of the most marked features of the earth’s inhabitants in the days of Noahwas their intense worldliness. They made eating and drinking, buying and selling,marrying and giving in marriage, the supreme objects of life. It is not sinful, but[95]the fulfillment of a duty, to eat and drink, if that which is lawful is not carriedto excess.... God Himself instituted marriage when He gave Eve to Adam. AllGod’s laws are marvelously adapted to meet the nature of man. The sin of theantediluvians was in perverting that which in itself was lawful. They corruptedGod’s gifts by using them to minister to their selfish desires....

Excessive love and devotion to that which in itself is lawful, proves the ru-ination of thousands upon thousands of souls. To matters of minor importance isoften given the strength of intellect that should be wholly devoted to God. Weneed always to be guarded against carrying to excess that which, rightly used, islawful. Many, many souls are lost by engaging in those things which, properlymanaged, are harmless, but which, perverted and misapplied, become sinful anddemoralizing.

If we are constantly thinking of and struggling for the things that pertain tothis life, we cannot keep our thoughts fixed on the things of heaven. Satan isseeking to lead our minds away from God, and to center them on the fashions, thecustoms, and the demands of the world, which bring disease and death....

In this world we are to obtain a fitness for the higher world. God has left atrust with us, and He expects us to use all our faculties in helping and blessing ourfellow men. He calls for our best affections, our highest powers.

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Above The Fog Of Doubt, April 8

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope inthe Lord. Psalm 31:24.

Even Christians of long experience are often assaulted with the most terribledoubts and waverings.... You must not consider that for these temptations yourcase is hopeless.... Hope in God, trust in Him and rest in His promises.

When the devil comes with his doubts and unbeliefs, shut the door of yourheart. Shut your eyes so that you will not dwell upon his hellish shadow. Lift themup where they can behold the things which are eternal, and you will have strengthevery hour. The trial of your faith is much more precious than gold.... It makesyou valiant to fight the battle of the Lord....

Satan connects with everyone that will connect with him. If he can get thosethat have had an experience in religion, they are his most effectual agents to reachjust such men and compass their souls with unbelief. You cannot afford to let [96]any doubts come into your mind. Do not please the devil enough to tell about theterrible burdens you are carrying. Every time you do it, Satan laughs that his soulcan control you and that you have lost sight of Jesus Christ your Redeemer....

We are to show forth Him who hath called us out of darkness into His mar-velous light. It is by living faith that we rest in that light. It is by living faith thatwe rejoice in that light every day. We are not to talk our doubts and trials, becausethey grow bigger every time we talk them. Every time we talk them, Satan hasgained the victory; but when we say, “I will commit the keeping of my soul untoHim, as unto a faithful witness,” then we testify that we have given ourselves toJesus Christ without any reservation, and then God gives us light and we rejoicein Him.

The soul that loves God, rises above the fog of doubt; he gains a bright, broad,deep, living experience, and becomes meek and Christ-like. His soul is committedto God, hid with Christ in God.

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How To Maintain Integrity!, April 9

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but aliveunto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your

mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Romans 6:11, 12.

Some regard sin as altogether so light a matter that they have no defenseagainst its indulgence or its consequence....

If you suppose for a moment that God will treat sin lightly, or make provisionsor exemptions so that you can go on in committing sin, and the soul suffer nopenalty from so doing, you are under a terrible delusion of Satan. Any willfulviolation of the righteous law of Jehovah exposes your soul to the full assaults ofSatan.

When you lose your conscious integrity, your soul becomes a battlefield forSatan; you have doubts and fears enough to paralyze your energies and drive youto discouragement....

Remember that temptation is not sin. Remember that however trying thecircumstances in which a man may be placed, nothing can really weaken his soulso long as he does not yield to temptation but maintains his own integrity. Theinterests most vital to you individually are in your own keeping. No one candamage them without your consent. All the satanic legions cannot injure youunless you open your soul to the arts and arrows of Satan. Your ruin can nevertake place until your will consents. If there is not pollution of mind in yourself, all[97]the surrounding pollution cannot taint or defile you.

Eternal life is worth everything to us or it is worth nothing. Those only whoput forth persevering effort and untiring zeal with intense desire proportionate tothe value of the object they are in pursuit of, will gain that life which measureswith the life of God....

We have the example of Adam and Eve before us, and the result of theirtransgression should lead every soul of us to avoid sin, to abhor sin as the hatefulthing it is, and to feel, in view of the sufferings which sin is sure to inflict,that it is better to suffer loss of all things than to depart from the least of God’scommandments.

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“Come Unto Me”, April 10

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give yourest. Matthew 11:28.

Many who hear this invitation, while sighing for rest, yet press on the ruggedpath, hugging their burdens close to their heart. Jesus loves them, and longs tobear their burdens and themselves also in His strong arms. He would remove thefears and uncertainties that rob them of peace and rest; but they must first come toHim, and tell Him the secret woes of their heart....

Sometimes we pour our troubles into human ears, and tell our afflictions tothose who cannot help us, and neglect to confide all to Jesus, who is able to changethe sorrowful way to paths of joy and peace....

He proposes to be our friend, to walk with us through all the rough pathwaysof life. He says to us, I am the Lord thy God; walk with me, and I will fill thy pathwith light. Jesus, the Majesty of Heaven, proposes to elevate to companionshipwith Himself those who come to Him with their burdens, their weaknesses, andtheir cares....

His invitation to us is a call to a pure, holy, and happy life—a life of peace andrest, of liberty and love—and to a rich inheritance in the future, immortal life.... Itis our privilege to have daily a calm, close, happy walk with Jesus.

Rest is found when all self-justification, all reasoning from a selfish standpoint,is put away. Entire self-surrender, an acceptance of His ways, is the secret ofperfect rest in His love.... Do just what He has told you to do, and be assuredthat God will do all that He has said He would do.... Have you come to Him,renouncing all your makeshifts, all your unbelief, all your self-righteousness?Come just as you are, weak, helpless, and ready to die. [98]

What is the “rest” promised?—It is the consciousness that God is true, that Henever disappoints the one who comes to Him. His pardon is full and free, and Hisacceptance means rest to the soul, rest in His love.

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Time For Meditation, April 11

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditateday and night. Psalm 1:2.

Your last thought at night, your first thought in the morning, should be of Himin whom is centered your hope of eternal life.

Many seem to begrudge moments spent in meditation, and the searching ofthe Scriptures, and prayer, as though the time thus occupied was lost. I wishyou could all view these things in the light God would have you; for you wouldthen make the kingdom of heaven of the first importance.... As exercise increasesthe appetite, and gives strength and healthy vigor to the body, so will devotionalexercises bring an increase of grace and spiritual vigor.

The affections should center upon God. Contemplate His greatness, His mercyand excellences. Let His goodness and love and perfection of character captivateyour heart. Converse upon His divine charms, and the heavenly mansions Heis preparing for the faithful. He whose conversation is in heaven, is the mostprofitable Christian to all around him. His words are useful and refreshing. Theyhave a transforming power upon those who hear them.

There is constant need of private communion with God. We must take in thespirit of Christ if we would impart it to others. We cannot meet satanic and humanagencies combined unless we spend much time in intercourse with the Source ofall strength. There are times when we should get away from the sounds of earthlytoil and human voices, and in retired places listen to the voice of Jesus. Thus wemay taste of His love and imbibe His spirit. Thus we shall learn to crucify self.This course of action may seem impossible to the human mind. “I have not time,”you may say. But when you consider the matter as it really is, you lose no time;for when you secure the power and grace that come alone from God, you do notaccomplish the work. It is Jesus who is the real worker. “Without me,” says Christ,“ye can do nothing.” John 15:5.... Reflection and earnest prayer will inspire toholy endeavor.[99]

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Seeking God With All The Heart, April 12

Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declarethat I will render double unto thee. Zechariah 9:12.

We need to educate the soul to lay hold, and hold fast the rich promises ofChrist. The Lord Jesus knows that it is not possible for us to resist the manytemptations of Satan, only as we shall have divine power given us from God. Hewell knows that in our own human strength we should surely fail. Therefore everyprovision has been made, that in every emergency and trial we shall flee to theStronghold.... We have the word of promise from lips that will not lie.... We mustindividually cherish the faith that we receive of Him the things He hath promised.

God will be to us everything we will let Him be. Our languid, half-heartedprayers will not bring us returns from heaven. Oh, we need to press our petitions!Ask in faith, wait in faith, receive in faith, rejoice in hope, for everyone thatseeketh findeth. Be in earnest in the matter. Seek God with all the heart. Peopleput soul and earnestness into everything they undertake in temporal things, untiltheir efforts are crowned with success. With intense earnestness learn the trade ofseeking the rich blessings that God has promised, and with persevering, determinedeffort you shall have His light and His truth and His rich grace.

In sincerity, in soul hunger, cry after God. Wrestle with the heavenly agenciesuntil you have the victory. Put your whole being into the Lord’s hands, soul, body,and spirit, and resolve to be His loving, consecrated agency, moved by His will,controlled by His mind, infused by His Spirit.

Tell Jesus your wants in the sincerity of your soul. You are not required to holda long controversy with, or preach a sermon to, God, but with a heart of sorrowfor your sins, say, “Save me, Lord, or I perish.” There is hope for such souls.They will seek, they will ask, they will knock, and they will find. When Jesus hastaken away the burden of sin that is crushing the soul, you will experience theblessedness of the peace of Christ.

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Humble, Persevering Prayer, April 13

Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestlythat it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the

[100]space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gaverain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. James 5:17, 18.

Important lessons are presented to us in the experience of Elijah. When uponMount Carmel he offered the prayer for rain, his faith was tested, but he perseveredin making known his request unto God.

The servant watched while Elijah prayed. Six times he returned from thewatch, saying, There is nothing, no cloud, no sign of rain. But the prophet did notgive up in discouragement. He kept reviewing his life, to see where he had failedto honor God.... As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both inhis own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing,and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self,while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answercame. The servant appeared, and said, “Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out ofthe sea, like a man’s hand.” 1 Kings 18:34.

We have a God whose ear is not closed to our petitions; and if we prove Hisword, He will honor our faith. He wants us to have all our interests interwovenwith His interests, and then He can safely bless us; for we shall not then take gloryto self when the blessing is ours, but shall render all the praise to God. God doesnot always answer our prayers the first time we call upon Him; for should Hedo this, we might take it for granted that we had a right to all the blessings andfavors He bestowed upon us. Instead of searching our hearts to see if any evil wasentertained by us, any sin indulged, we should become careless, and fail to realizeour dependence upon Him....

Elijah humbled himself until he was in a condition where he would not takethe glory to himself. This is the condition upon which the Lord hears prayer, forthen we shall give the praise to Him.... God alone is worthy to be glorified.

112

The Work Of Heart-Keeping, April 14

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.Proverbs 4:23.

Diligent heart-keeping is essential to a healthy growth in grace. The heart in itsnatural state is a habitation for unholy thoughts and sinful passions. When broughtinto subjection to Christ, it must be cleansed by the Spirit from all defilement.This can not be done without the consent of the individual. [101]

When the soul has been cleansed, it is the duty of the Christian to keep itundefiled. Many seem to think that the religion of Christ does not call for theabandonment of daily sins, the breaking loose from habits which have held thesoul in bondage. They renounce some things condemned by the conscience, butthey fail to represent Christ in the daily life. They do not bring Christlikeness intothe home. They do not show a thoughtful care in their choice of words. Too often,fretful, impatient words are spoken, words which stir the worst passions of thehuman heart. Such ones need the abiding presence of Christ in the soul. Only inHis strength can they keep guard over the words and actions.

In the work of heart-keeping we must be instant in prayer, unwearied inpetitioning the throne of grace for assistance. Those who take the name ofChristian should come to God in earnestness and humility, pleading for help....The Christian cannot always be in the position of prayer, but his thoughts anddesires can always be upward.

To keep your heart in heaven will give vigor to all your graces and put life intoall your duties. To discipline the mind to dwell upon heavenly things will put lifeand earnestness into all our endeavors. Our efforts are languid, and we run theChristian race slowly, and manifest indolence and sloth, because we so little valuethe heavenly prize. We are dwarfs in spiritual attainments. It is the privilege andduty of the Christian to be increasing in the knowledge of the Son of God, “unto aperfect man.”

113

The Court Of Holy Life, April 15

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, apeculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath

called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9.

The church of Christ on earth is amid the moral darkness of a disloyal world,which is trampling upon the law of Jehovah. But their Redeemer, who has pur-chased their ransom with the price of His own precious blood, has made everyprovision that His church shall be a transformed body, illumined with Light ofthe world, possessing the glory of Emmanuel. The bright beams of the Sun ofRighteousness, shining through His church, will gather into His fold every lost,straying sheep who will come unto Him and find refuge in Him. They will findpeace and light and joy in Him who is peace and righteousness forever.

The members of the church should individually keep the light of God’s loveburning brightly in their own souls, that it may also shine forth to others. We havetoo much at stake to allow spiritual lethargy to creep over us. Let us beware of[102]indulging a disrelish for religious services and religious duties. Let us resolutelybattle against that sluggishness of soul which is so fatal to the growth and even thelife of the Christian. That church will be healthy and prosperous whose membersare putting forth active, personal effort to do good to others, to save souls. Thiswill be a constant incentive to every good work. Such Christians will labor withgreater earnestness to secure their own salvation. The dormant energies will bearoused, the whole soul inspired with an unconquerable determination to win theSaviour’s plaudit of “Well done,” and to wear the victor’s crown.

Christ makes His church a beautiful temple for God. “Where two or three aregathered together in my name,” He declared, “there am I in the midst of them,”Matthew 18:20. His church is the court of holy life, filled with varied gifts, andendowed with the Holy Spirit. Appropriate duties are assigned by Heaven to eachmember of the church on earth, and all are to find their happiness in the happinessof those whom they help and bless.

114

The Smiles Of God, April 16

The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.Proverbs 10:22.

Nothing can do us real good without the blessing of God. What God blesses isblessed. Therefore “a little that a righteous man hath is better that the riches ofmany wicked.” Psalm 37:16. The little with the blessing of God is more efficient,and it will extend farther. The grace of God will make a little go a great ways.When we devote ourselves to the affairs of the kingdom of God, He will mind ouraffairs.”

The Lord has given us precious blessings in the simple flowers of the field, inthe fragrance so grateful to our senses. He has tinted every flower with beauty;for He is the great Master Artist. He who has created the beautiful things innature will do far greater things for the soul. God is a lover of the beautiful, andHe would adorn our characters with His own rich graces. He would have ourwords as fragrant as the flowers of the field. He has given us blessings in dailyprovision for our physical needs. The very bread we are has upon it the image andsuperscription of the cross.

They only are truly blessed whose chief concern is to secure those blessingswhich will nourish the soul and endure forever. Our Saviour says to us, “Seek yefirst the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be addedunto you.” Matthew 6:33. God has a care for us, even to bestow His temporalblessings upon us. Our earthly good is not beneath the notice of our heavenly [103]Father. He knoweth that we have need of these things.... When God smiles uponour efforts it is worth more than any earthly income.

“How sweet our daily comforts proveWhen they are seasoned with His love.”Every deliverance, every blessing, that God in the past has granted to His

people, should be kept fresh in memory’s hall as a sure pledge of further andricher, increasing blessings that He will bestow.

There is no limit to the blessings that it is our privilege to receive.

115

With Eyes Of Faith, April 17

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know whatis the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance

in the saints. Ephesians 1:18.

The highest qualification of the mind will not, cannot, supply the place oftrue simplicity, of genuine piety. The Bible may be studied as a branch of humanscience would be; but its beauty, the evidence of its power to save the soul thatbelieves, is a lesson that is never thus learned. If the practice of the Word is notbrought into the life, then the sword of the Spirit has not wounded the naturalheart. It has been shielded in poetic fancy. Sentimentalism has so wrapped it aboutthat the heart has not sufficiently felt the keenness of its edge, piercing and cuttingaway the sinful shrines where self is worshipped....

The eyes of the understanding must be enlightened, and the heart and mindbrought into harmony with God, who is truth. He who beholds Jesus with the eyeof faith sees no glory in himself, for the glory of the Redeemer is reflected intothe mind and heart. The atonement of His blood is realized, and the taking awayof sin stirs the heart with gratitude.

Being justified by Christ, the receiver of truth is constrained to make an entiresurrender to God, and is admitted into the school of Christ, that he may learn ofHim who is meek and lowly of heart. A knowledge of the love of God is shedabroad in his heart. He exclaims, Oh, what love! What condescension! Graspingthe rich promises by faith, he becomes a partaker of the divine nature. His heartbeing emptied of self, the waters of life flow in; the glory of the Lord shinesforth. Perpetually looking unto Jesus, the human is assimilated by the divine. Thebeliever is changed into His likeness.... The human character is changed into thedivine.

Christ looks upon His people in their purity and perfection as the rewardof all His sufferings, His humiliation, and His love, and the supplement of His[104]glory—Christ the great center, from whom radiates all glory.

116

How To Grow In Grace, April 18

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour JesusChrist. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18.

How is it possible that we may grow in grace? It is possible to us only aswe empty our hearts of self, and present them to Heaven, to be molded after theDivine Pattern. We may have a connection with the living channel of light; wemay be refreshed with the heavenly dew, and have the showers of heaven descendupon us. As we appropriate the blessing of God, we shall be able to receive greatermeasures of His grace.

As little children we are to sit at the feet of Christ, learning of Him.... Weshould not allow a day to pass without gaining an increase of knowledge intemporal and spiritual things. We are to plant no stakes that we are not willing totake up and plant further on, nearer the heights we hope to ascend. The highesteducation is to be found in training the mind to advance day by day. The closeof each day should find us a day’s march nearer the overcomer’s reward. Day byday our understanding is to ripen. Day by day we are to work out conclusions thatwill bring a rich reward in this life and in the life to come. Looking daily to Jesus,instead of to what we ourselves have done, we shall make decided advancementin temporal as well as spiritual knowledge.

The end of all things is at hand. What we have done must not be allowedto place the period to our work. The Captain of our salvation says, “Advance.The night cometh, in which no man can work.” Constantly we are to increase inusefulness. Our lives are always to be under the power of Christ. Our lamps areto be kept burning brightly.... He who places himself where God can enlightenhim, advances, as it were, from the partial obscurity of dawn to the full radianceof noonday.

We must put to the stretch every spiritual nerve and muscle.... God ... does notdesire you to remain novices. He wants you to reach the very highest round ofthe ladder, and then step from it into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour JesusChrist. [105]

117

Great In God’s Sight, April 19

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he thatis unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10.

Life is not made up of great things alone; it is the little things that make the sumof life’s happiness or miseries. It is the little things in life that reveal a person’sreal character. Oh, if all youth and those of mature age could see as I have seenthe mirror of person’s lives presented before them, they would look more gravelyupon even the little duties of life. Every mistake, every error, unimportant thoughit may be regarded, leaves a scar in this life and a blot on the heavenly records.

Life is full of duties that are not agreeable, but all these unpleasant duties willbe made agreeable by a cheerful performance of them because it is right. Takingan interest in the duties which someone must do, and striving to do them with theheart, will make the most disagreeable duties pleasant.

There are many who undervalue the small events of life, the little deeds thatare to be performed day by day; but these are not to be estimated as small, as everyaction tells either for the blessing or the injuring of someone. Every action tellsits own story, it bears its own history to the throne of God. It is known whether itis on the side of right or on the side of wrong. It is only by acting in accordancewith the principles of God’s Word in the small transactions of life, that we placeourselves on the right side. We are tried and tested by these small occurrences,and our character will be estimated according as our work shall be.

It is the conscientious attention to what the world calls little things that makesthe great beauty and success of life.

Little deeds of charity,Little words of kindness,Little acts of self-denial,A wiseimprovement of opportunities,A diligent cultivation of little talents,Makegreat men in God’s sight.

[106]

118

Hold High The Standard, April 20

Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up,cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

Isaiah 62:10.

The Word of God not only sets forth the great principles of truth and duty whichshould govern our lives, but it presents also, for our encouragement, the historyof many who have exemplified these principles....Except the one perfect Pattern,there is not described in the Sacred Pages a single character more worthy ofemulation than that of the prophet Daniel. Exposed in youth to all the allurementsof a royal court, he became a man of unbending integrity and fervent devotion toGod. He was subjected to the fierce temptations of Satan, yet his character wasnot vacillating, nor his course changeable. He was firm where many would beyielding; he was true where they would be false; he was strong where they wouldbe weak. Daniel was a lofty cedar of Lebanon....Would that the faith, integrity,and devotion of the prophet Daniel might live in the hearts of God’s people oftoday. Never were these noble qualities more needed in the world than now....

In the records of those who have done and suffered for the name of Jesus,there is no name that shines with a brighter or purer luster than the name of Paul,the apostle to the Gentiles. The love of Jesus, glowing in his heart, made himself-forgetful, self-denying. He had seen the risen Christ, and the Saviour’s imagewas impressed upon his soul, and shone forth in his life. With faith, courage, andfortitude, that would not be daunted by danger or stayed by obstacles, he pressedhis way from land to land to spread the knowledge of the cross....

Are the professed followers of Christ thus exemplifying the principles of theirfaith? Where are the deep, living, holy experiences which men of God were wontto recount? Has the standard of Christianity been lowered?...No; that standardremains just where God placed it. Holy men of ages past were required to give upall for Christ, to cherish His spirit, and to imitate His example. Nothing less thanthis will He accept now....When called to give up all for Christ, who will stand thetest? [107]

119

Reminders Of Our Heavenly Home, April 21

Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven ofheavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, theseas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of

heaven worshippeth thee. Nehemiah 9:6.

There is beauty in the valley’s awful grandeur, in the solemn, massive, cleftrocks; there is majesty in the towering mountains that look as if they touched theheavens. There are the lofty trees with their delicately formed leaves; the spires ofgrass, the opening bud and blossoming flower, the forest trees, and every livingthing. They all point the mind to the great and living God. Every faculty of ourbeing testifies that there is a living God, and we may learn from the open book ofnature the most precious lessons in regard to the Lord of heaven.

In this study the mind expands, is elevated and uplifted, and becomes hungryto know more of God and His majesty. We have awakened in our hearts feelingsnot only of reverence and awe but of love, of faith, of trust and entire dependenceupon One who is the giver of all good. And as I look at His marvelous works andsee the evidences of His power I instinctively inquire, “What is man that thou artmindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Psalm 8:4.

All the greatness and glory of these wonderful things in God’s house can onlybe appreciated as they are, in the mind, associated with God and the future homeof bliss He is preparing for those who love Him....While we talk freely of othercountries, why should we be reticent in regard to the heavenly country, and thehouse not built with hands, eternal in the heavens? This heavenly country is ofmore consequence to us than any other city or country on the globe, therefore weshould think and talk of this better—even an heavenly—country. And why shouldwe not converse more earnestly, and in a heavenly frame of mind, in regard toGod’s gifts in nature? He has made all these things, and designs that we shall seeGod in His created works. These things are to keep God in our remembrance andto lift our hearts from sensual things and bind them in bonds of love and gratitudeto our Creator.[108]

120

The Sacred Temple Of The Body, April 22

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which isin you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are boughtwith a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which

are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.

That perfection of character which the Lord requires is the fitting up of thewhole being as a temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God will acceptof nothing less than the service of the entire human organism. It is not enoughto bring into action certain parts of the living machinery. All parts must work inperfect harmony, or the service will be deficient. It is thus that man is qualifiedto cooperate with God in representing Christ to the world. Thus God desires toprepare a people to stand before Him pure and holy, that He may introduce theminto the society of heavenly angels.

We have been entrusted with the most solemn message ever given to ourworld, and the object to be kept plainly and distinctly before our minds is theglory of God. Let us take care that we do nothing which will weaken physical,mental, or spiritual healthfulness, for God will not accept a tainted, diseased,corrupted sacrifice. Care must be exercised in eating, in drinking, in dressing, andin working, lest we detract from our efficiency and fail of doing our most exaltedwork in the best manner, in order that the results of our labor may be as lasting aseternity.

It is our duty to train and discipline the body in order that we shall renderto the Master the highest possible service. Inclination must not control us. Weare not to pamper the appetite and indulge in the use of that which is not for ourgood, simply because it gratifies the palate; neither are we to seek to live by thestarvation plan, with the idea that we shall become spiritually-minded, and thatGod shall be glorified. We must use the intelligence that God has given in orderthat we may be perfect in body, soul, and spirit, that we may have a symmetricalcharacter, a well-balanced mind, and do perfect work for the Master.

121

The Beauty Of Christlikeness, April 23

Shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God ourSaviour in all things. Titus 2:10.

[109]Everyone who names the name of Christ is to adorn the doctrine of Christ our

Saviour by a well-ordered life and a godly conversation, even the ornament of ameek and quiet spirit....Possessing this, you will have favor both with God andwith men.

Words spoken hastily wound and bruise souls, and the deepest wound is madeupon the soul of the speaker. Christ’s gift, the ornament of a meek and quietspirit, is authoritatively declared by Him who can make no mistake to be of greatprice. We must each find out its worth for ourselves by seeking it from God.However men may estimate us, if we wear this ornament, we bear the sign of ourdiscipleship with Christ. We are esteemed by the Most High; for the ornament wewear is in His sight of great price. This precious gem is to be sought for....

To every soul things will come to provoke, to stir up anger, and if you are notunder the full control of God, you will be provoked when these things come. Butthe meekness of Christ calms the ruffled spirit, controls the tongue, and brings thewhole being into subjection to God. Thus we learn how to bear with the censureof others. We shall be misjudged, but the precious ornament of a meek and quietspirit teaches us how to bear, how to have pity for those who utter hasty, unadvisedwords. Any unpleasant spirit displayed is sure to arouse the demon of passion inunguarded hearts. Unholy anger need not to be strengthened, but bridled. It is aspark which will set on fire untamed human nature. Avoid speaking words whichwill stir up strife. Rather suffer wrong than do wrong. God requires every one ofHis followers, as far as is possible, to live peaceably with all men....

We must be Christlike. Let us strive to make our lives what Christ designsthem to be, full of the fragrance of love to God and our fellow men, full ofChrist’s own divine Spirit, full of holy aspirations toward God, rich in the beautyof Christlikeness.

122

Heaven Cheap At Any Price, April 24

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be mydisciple. Luke 14:27.

It is too true that the great mass who possess ability and talent do not chooseto travel the Christian road. Are their talent and ability too precious to devote tothe Giver, the Lord of heaven and earth? ...

Many would be followers of Christ if He would come down from the crossand appear to them in such a manner as they desire. If He would come with richesand pleasure, many would receive Him gladly and would be in haste to crownHim Lord of all. If He would only lay aside His humiliation and sufferings and [110]cry, “If any man will come after Me, let him please himself and enjoy the worldand he shall be My disciple,” multitudes would believe on Him.

But the blessed Jesus will come to us in no other character than the meek andlowly Crucified One. We must partake of His self-denial and suffering here if wewould take the crown hereafter....

The Word of God has not widened the narrow way, and if the multitude havefound a path where they can wear a form of godliness and not bear the cross orsuffer tribulation, they have found a way where our Saviour did not walk and theyfollow another example than that which Christ set before us. Is it not enoughthat Jesus left the felicity and glory of heaven, endured a life of poverty anddeep affliction, and died a cruel, shameful death to provide for us the joys ofholiness and heaven? And can it be that we, the worthless objects of so great acondescension and love, will seek after a better portion in this life than was givento our Redeemer?

How easy would be the way to heaven if there was no self-denial or cross!How worldlings would rush in the way, and hypocrites would travel in it withoutnumber! Thank God for the cross, the self-denial. The ignominy and shame ourSaviour endured for us is none too humiliating for those saved by the purchase ofHis blood. Heaven will indeed be cheap enough.

123

Let Your Light Shine, April 25

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, andglorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16.

To every soul born into Christ’s kingdom is given a solemn charge, Let yourlight so shine before men that they, by seeing your good works, shall glorify yourFather which is in heaven. Pour forth upon your neighbors the rich rays of lightreceived from the Sun of Righteousness; flash upon your friends in the world thebright gems of light and truth imparted to you abundantly from the throne of God.This is trading upon the talents entrusted. Go on from light to a greater light,catching more and more the bright beams from the Sun of Righteousness, andshine more and more unto the perfect day.

Jesus does not bid the Christian to strive to shine, but just to let his light shinein clear and distinct rays to the world. Do not blanket your light. Do not sinfullywithhold your light. Do not let the mist and fog and malaria of the world put outyour light. Do not hide it under a bed or under a bushel, but set it on a candlestick,that it may give light to all that are in the house....God bids you shine, penetrating[111]the moral darkness of the world.

Many do not know what is the matter with them. They want light and see noray. They are calling for help and they hear no response. Shall doubt and unbeliefbe perpetuated because I do not gather the divine rays of light from Jesus Christand let them shine forth to others? ...

The deep struggles of my own soul against temptations, the earnest longingsof my mind and heart to know God and Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, andto have assurance, peace, and rest in their love, lead me to desire every day to bewhere the beams of the Sun of Righteousness can shine upon me. Without thisexperience, I shall indeed meet with great loss, and all with whom I associate willbe affected by the loss of the light I ought to be receiving from the Source of alllight and comfort, and to be flashing into their pathway. Shall I be indeed a lightunto the world, or a shadow of darkness?

124

A Jewel Or A Pebble?, April 26

In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, myservant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet:

for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:23.

Christians are Christ’s jewels. They are to shine brightly for Him, sheddingforth the light of His loveliness. Their luster depends on the polishing they receive.They may choose to be polished or to remain unpolished. But everyone who ispronounced worthy of a place in the Lord’s temple must submit to the polishingprocess. Without the polishing that the Lord gives they can reflect no more lightthan a common pebble.

Christ says to man, “You are mine. I have bought you. You are now only arough stone, but if you will place yourself in my hands, I will polish you, andthe luster with which you shall shine will bring honor to My name. No manshall pluck you out of My hand. I will make you My peculiar treasure. On Mycoronation day, you will be a jewel in My crown of rejoicing.”

The divine Worker spends little time on worthless material. Only the preciousjewels does He polish after the similitude of a palace, cutting away all the roughedges. This process is severe and trying; it hurts human pride. Christ cuts deepinto the experience that man in his self-sufficiency has regarded as complete, andtakes away self-uplifting from the character. He cuts away the surplus surface,and putting the stone to the polishing wheel, presses it close, that all roughnessmay be worn away. Then, holding the jewel up to the light, the Master sees in [112]it a reflection of Himself, and He pronounces it worthy of a place in His casket.“In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee,... and will make thee as asignet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.” Blessed be the experience,however severe, that gives new value to the stone, and causes it to shine with livingbrightness.

God will not suffer one of His truehearted workers to be left alone to struggleagainst great odds and be overcome. He preserves as a precious jewel every onewhose life is hid with Christ in God.

125

Rooted In Christ, April 27

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar inLebanon. Psalm 92:12.

The Christian is likened to the cedar of Lebanon. I have read that this treedoes more than send down a few short roots into the yielding loam. It sends strongroots deep down into the earth, and strikes down farther and still farther in searchof a still stronger hold. And in the fierce blast of the tempest, it stands firm, heldby its network of cables beneath.

So the Christian strikes root deep into Christ. He has faith in his Redeemer.He knows in whom he believes. He is fully persuaded that Jesus is the Son ofGod and the Saviour of sinners.... The roots of faith strike deep down. GenuineChristians, like the cedar of Lebanon, do not grow in the soft surface soil, but arerooted in God, riveted in the clefts of the mountain rocks.

If the Christian thrives and progresses at all, he must do so amid strangersto God, amid scoffing, subject to ridicule. He must stand upright like the palmtree in the desert. The sky may be as brass, the desert sand may beat about thepalm tree’s roots, and pile itself in heaps about its trunk. Yet the tree lives as anevergreen, fresh and vigorous amid the burning desert sands. Remove the sand tillyou reach the rootlets of the palm tree, and you discover the secret of its life; itstrikes down deep beneath the surface, to the secret waters hidden in the earth.

As the palm tree, drawing nourishment from fountains of living water, is greenand flourishing in the midst of the desert, so the Christian may draw rich suppliesof grace from the fountain of God’s love, and may guide weary souls, that are fullof unrest and ready to perish in the desert of sin, to those waters of which theymay drink, and live. The Christian is ever pointing his fellow men to Jesus, whoinvites, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” John 7:37. Thisfountain never fails us; we may draw, and draw again.[113]

126

No Patchwork Religion!, April 28

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.Matthew 24:13.

The religion that is built on self is worthless; for God makes no compromisewith selfishness....

The religion of Christ is a firm fabric, composed of innumerable threads,woven together with tact and skill. Only by the wisdom that God gives can weweave this fabric. Trusting to ourselves, we draw into it threads of selfishness, andthe pattern is spoiled.

There are many kinds of cloth which at first have a fine appearance, but theydo not endure test. The colors are not fast. They wash out. Under the heat ofsummer they fade, and are lost. Such a fabric cannot endure rough handling, andis worth very little.

So it is with religion. When the warp and woof of religion will not stand thetest of trial, the material of which it is composed is worthless. And an effort topatch the old cloth with a new piece does not better the condition of things; for theworn-out, flimsy material breaks away from the new, leaving the rent much largerthan before. Patching will not do. The only way is to discard the old garmentand procure a new one. The religion of self, composed of threads that fade andgive way under the stress of temptation, must be cast aside, to be replaced by thereligion woven by Him in whose life no selfishness found place.

Christ’s plan is the only safe one. He declares, “Behold, I make all thingsnew.” Revelation 21:5. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” 2 Corinthi-ans 5:17. The Saviour gives no encouragement to any to think that He will accepta patchwork religion. Such a religion is of no value in His sight. There may atfirst seem to be some of self and some of Christ; but it soon seen that there is noneof Christ. The patches of selfishness increase till the entire garment is coveredwith them....

A religion formed after the divine pattern is the only one that will endure.Only by striving to live the life of Christ here can we prepare ourselves to livewith Him through the eternal ages. [114]

127

The Unsearchable Riches Of Christ, April 29

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to bestrengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. Ephesians 3:16.

The themes of redemption are momentous themes, and only those who arespiritually-minded can discern their depth and significance. It is our safety, our joy,to dwell upon the truths of the plan of salvation. Faith and prayer are necessaryin order that we may behold the deep things of God. Our minds are so boundabout by narrow ideas that we catch but limited views of the experience it is ourprivilege to have...

Why is it that many who profess to have faith in Christ have no strength to standagainst the temptations of the enemy?—It is because they are not strengthenedwith might by His Spirit in the inner man. The apostle prays “that ye, beingrooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what isthe breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ,which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”Ephesians 3:17-19. If we had this experience, we should know something of thecross of Calvary. We would know what it means to be partakers with Christ in Hissufferings. The love of Christ would constrain us, and though we would not beable to explain how the love of Christ warmed our hearts, we would manifest Hislove in fervent devotion to His cause.

Paul opens before the Ephesian church, in the most comprehensive language,the marvelous power and knowledge they might possess as sons and daughters ofthe Most High. It was theirs “to be strengthened with might...,” to be “rooted andgrounded in love,”...“to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.”...

Jehovah Emmanuel—He in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom andknowledge—to be brought into sympathy with Him, to possess Him, as the heartopens more and more to receive His attributes: to know His love and power, topossess the unsearchable riches of Christ...this is the heritage of the servants ofthe Lord, and “their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17.[115]

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Almost Home!, April 30

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive youunto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:3.

More than eighteen hundred years have passed since the Saviour gave thepromise of His coming. Throughout the centuries His words have filled withcourage the hearts of His faithful ones. The promise has not yet been fulfilled;...butnone the less sure is the word that has been spoken.

Christ will come in His own glory, in the glory of His Father, and in the gloryof the holy angels. Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousandsof angels, the beautiful, triumphant sons of God, possessing surpassing lovelinessand glory, will escort Him on His way. In the place of a crown of thorns, He willwear a crown of glory—a crown within a crown. In the place of that old purplerobe, He will be clothed in a garment of whitest white, “so as no fuller on earthcan white” (Mark 9:3) it. And on His vesture and on His thigh a name will bewritten, “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:16....

To His faithful followers Christ has been a daily companion, a familiar friend.They have lived in close, constant communion with God. Upon them the glory ofthe Lord has risen. In them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in theface of Jesus Christ has been reflected. Now they rejoice in the undimmed raysof the brightness and glory of the King in His majesty. They are prepared for thecommunion of heaven, for they have heaven in their hearts.

With uplifted heads, with the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shiningupon them, with rejoicing that their redemption draweth nigh, they go forth tomeet the Bridegroom, saying, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, andhe will save us.”

The time of tarrying is almost ended. The pilgrims and strangers who have solong been seeking a better country are almost home. I feel as if I must cry aloud,Homeward bound! ... “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things,be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” 2Peter 3:14. [116]

129

May—That I May Know Him

Superficial Knowledge Not Enough, May 1

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of thismystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27.

There are many mysteries in the Word of God that we do not comprehend,and many of us are content to stop our investigation when we have just begunto receive a little knowledge concerning Christ. When there begins to be a littleunfolding of the divine purposes to the mind, and we begin to obtain a slightknowledge of the character of God, we become satisfied and think that we havereceived about all the light that there is for us in the Word of God. But the truthof God is infinite. With painstaking effort we should work in the mines of truth,discovering the precious jewels that have been hidden.... Jesus meant just whatHe said when He directed His disciples to “search the Scriptures” (John 5:39).Searching means to compare scripture with scripture, and spiritual things withspiritual. We should not be satisfied with a superficial knowledge.

We do not half realize what the Lord is willing to do for His people.... Ourpetitions, mingled with faith and contrition, should go up to God for an under-standing of the mysteries that God would make known to His saints.... An angel’spen could not portray all the glory of the revealed plan of redemption. The Bibletells how Christ bore our sins and carried our sorrows. Here is revealed how mercyand truth have met together at the cross of Calvary, how righteousness and peacehave kissed each other, how the righteousness of Christ may be imparted to fallenman. There infinite wisdom, infinite justice, infinite mercy, and infinite love weredisplayed. Depths, heights, lengths, and breadths of love and wisdom, all passingknowledge, are made known in the plan of salvation.

He who desires the truth in his heart, who longs for the working of its powersupon the life and character, will be sure to have it. Says the Saviour, “Blessedare they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”(Matthew 5:6).

132

Our Divine Redeemer, May 2

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal withGod. Philippians 2:6.

Jesus Christ “counted it not a thing to be grasped to be equal with God.” [117]Because divinity alone could be efficacious in the restoration of man from thepoisonous bruise of the serpent, God Himself, in His only begotten Son, assumedhuman nature, and in the weakness of human nature sustained the character ofGod, vindicated His holy law in every particular, and accepted the sentence ofwrath and death for the sons of men. What a thought is this! He who was onewith the Father before the world was made had such compassion for a world lostand ruined by transgression that He gave His life a ransom for it. He who was thebrightness of the Father’s glory, the express image of His person, bore our sinsin His own body on the tree, suffering the penalty of man’s transgression untiljustice was satisfied and required no more. How great is the redemption that hasbeen worked out for us! So great that the Son of God died the cruel death of thecross to bring to us life and immortality through faith in Him.

This wonderful problem—how God could be just and yet the justifier ofsinners—is beyond human ken. As we attempt to fathom it, it broadens anddeepens beyond our comprehension. When we look with the eye of faith upon thecross of Calvary, and see our sins laid upon the victim hanging in weakness andignominy there—when we grasp the fact that this is God, the everlasting Father,the Prince of Peace—we are led to exclaim, “Behold, what manner of love theFather hath bestowed upon us” (1 John 3:1)! ...

When man can measure the exalted character of the Lord of hosts, and dis-tinguish between the eternal God and finite humanity, he will know how greathas been the sacrifice of Heaven to bring man from where he has fallen throughdisobedience to become part of the family of God.... The divinity of Christ is ourassurance of eternal life.... He, the Sin Bearer of the world, is our only medium ofreconciliation with a holy God.

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Tender, Loving, Compassionate, May 3

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Psalm 86:15.

God has ordained according to the law of ministry that we should comfort oneanother in tenderness and love when great sorrows come upon us. No man livethunto himself. No one dieth unto himself. Life and death both mean somethingto every human being.... God has enjoined the duty upon His human agents tocommunicate the character of God, testifying to His grace, His wisdom, and Hisbenevolence, by manifesting His refined, tender, merciful love.... Jesus ... wasever touched with human woe, and our hearts should be softened and subdued by[118]His Holy Spirit, that we may be like Him....

Our work is to restore the moral image of God in man through the abundantgrace given us of God by Jesus Christ. Everywhere we shall find souls ready todie, and how essential it is that the compassion of Christ shall be given us of Him,in order that we may never place one soul in defiance by not manifesting longforbearance and pitying tenderness.... I inquire, Will we ever learn the gentlenessof Christ? Oh, how much we need to know Jesus and our heavenly Father that wemay represent Him in character! ...

Jesus calls us to Himself not simply to refresh us with His grace and presencefor a few hours, and then to send us forth from His light to walk apart from Himin sadness and gloom. No, no. He tells us that we must abide with Him and Hewith us. Wherever His work is to be done He is present—tender, loving, and com-passionate. He has prepared for you and me an abiding dwelling place in Himself.He is our refuge. Our experience should broaden and deepen. Jesus has opened upall the divine fullness of His inexpressible love, and He declares to you, Ye “arelabourers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9). O what meaning these wordshave—“Abide in me” (John 15:4), “Take my yoke upon you” (Matthew 11:29).Will we take it? for the promise is, “Ye shall find rest unto your souls.” There isrest, complete rest in abiding in Christ.

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The Holy Spirit Our Helper, May 4

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.Romans 8:14.

Through the ministry of the angels the Holy Spirit is enabled to work uponthe mind and heart of the human agent and draw him to Christ.... But the Spirit ofGod does not interfere with the freedom of the human agent. The Holy Spirit isgiven to be a helper, so that man may cooperate with the Divine, and it is given toHim to draw the soul but never to force obedience.

Christ is ready to impart all heavenly influences. He knows every temptationthat comes to man, and the capabilities of each. He weighs his strength. He seesthe present and the future, and presents before the mind the obligations that shouldbe met, and urges that common, earthly things shall not be permitted to be soabsorbing that eternal things shall be lost out of the reckoning. The Lord hasfullness of grace to bestow on every one that will receive of the heavenly gift. TheHoly Spirit will bring the God-entrusted capabilities into Christ’s service, and will [119]mold and fashion the human agent according to the divine Pattern.

The Holy Spirit is our efficiency in the work of character building, in formingcharacters after the divine similitude. When we think ourselves capable of moldingour own experience, we make a great mistake. We can never of ourselves obtainthe victory over temptation. But those who have genuine faith in Christ will beworked by the Holy Spirit. The soul in whose heart faith abides will grow intoa beautiful temple for the Lord. He is directed by the grace of Christ. Just inproportion as he depends on the Holy Spirit’s teaching he will grow.

The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We do not nowsee Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one placeas another. It works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those whoknow the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace,long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

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“Despised And Rejected”, May 5

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted withgrief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we

esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:3.

How few have any conception of the anguish which rent the heart of the Son ofGod during His thirty years of life upon earth. The path from the manger to Calvarywas shadowed by sorrow and grief. He was the Man of Sorrows, and endured suchheartache as no human language can portray. He could have said in truth, “Behold,and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow” (Lamentations 1:12). Hissuffering was the deepest anguish of the soul; and what man could have sympathywith the soul anguish of the Son of the infinite God? Hating sin with a perfecthatred, He yet gathered to His soul the sins of the whole world, as He trod thepath to Calvary, suffering the penalty of the transgressor. Guiltless, He bore thepunishment of the guilty; innocent, yet offering Himself to bear the penalty of thetransgression of the law of God. The punishment of the sins of every soul wasborne by the Son of the infinite God. The guilt of every sin pressed its weightupon the divine soul of the world’s Redeemer. He who knew no sin became sinfor us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. In assuming thenature of man, He placed Himself where He was wounded for our transgressions,bruised for our iniquities, that by His stripes we might be healed.

In His humanity Christ was tried with as much greater temptation, with asmuch more persevering energy than man is tried by the evil one, as His nature[120]was greater than man’s. This is a deep mysterious truth, that Christ is bound tohumanity by the most sensitive sympathies. The evil works, the evil thoughts,the evil words of every son and daughter of Adam press upon His divine soul.The sins of men called for retribution upon Himself, for He had become man’ssubstitute, and took upon Him the sins of the world. He bore the sins of everysinner, for all transgressions were imputed unto Him.... “How shall we escape, ifwe neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).

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An Advocate Clothed In Our Nature, May 6

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if anyman sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1

John 2:1.

God’s appointments and grants in our behalf are without limit. The throneof grace itself is occupied by One who permits us to call Him Father.... He hasplaced at His altar an Advocate clothed in our nature. As our Intercessor, Christ’soffice work is to introduce us to God as His sons and daughters. He intercedes inbehalf of those who receive Him. With His own blood He has paid their ransom.By virtue of His merits He gives them power to become members of the royalfamily, children of the heavenly King. And the Father demonstrates His infinitelove for Christ by receiving and welcoming Christ’s friends as His friends. Heis satisfied with the atonement made. He is glorified by the incarnation, the life,death, and mediation of His son.

In Christ’s name our petitions ascend to the Father. He intercedes in our behalf,and the Father lays open all the treasures of His grace for our appropriation, for usto enjoy and impart to others....

Christ is the connecting link between God and man.... He places the wholevirtue of His righteousness on the side of the suppliant. He pleads for man, andman, in need of divine help, pleads for himself in the presence of God, usingthe influence of the One who gave His life for the life of the world. As weacknowledge before God our appreciation of Christ’s merits, fragrance is givento our intercessions. As we approach God through the virtue of the Redeemer’smerits, Christ places us close by His side, encircling us with His human arm,while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite. He puts His merits,as sweet incense, in the censer in our hands, in order to encourage our petitions....

Yes, Christ has become the medium of prayer between man and God. He hasalso become the medium of blessing between God and man. [121]

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The Priceless Pearl, May 7

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodlypearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all

that he had, and bought it. Matthew 13:45, 46.

This goodly pearl represents the priceless treasure of Christ, as does the goldhid in the field. In Christ we have everything that is needful for us in this life,and that which will make up the joy of the world to come. All the money in theworld will not buy the gift of peace and rest and love. These gifts are providedfor us through faith in Christ. We cannot purchase these gifts from God; we havenothing with which to buy them. We are the property of God, for mind, soul, andbody have been purchased by the ransom of the life of the Son of God....

Then what is it to buy the eternal treasure? It is simply to give back to JesusHis own, to receive Him into the heart by faith. It is cooperation with God; itis bearing the yoke with Christ; it is lifting His burdens.... The Lord Jesus laidaside His royal crown, He left His high command, He clothed His divinity withhumanity, in order that through humanity He might uplift the human race. He soappreciated the possibility of the human race that He became man’s substitute andsurety. He places upon man His own merit, and thus elevates him in the scale ofmoral value with God.

Christ is the atoning sacrifice. He left the glory of heaven, He parted with Hisriches, He laid aside His honor, not in order to create love and interest for manin the heart of God, but to be an exponent of the love that existed in the heartof the Father.... Jesus paid the price of all His riches, He assumed humanity, Hecondescended to a life of poverty and humiliation, in order that He might seek andsave that which was lost.

Through the grace of Christ we may be strengthened and matured, so thatthough now imperfect we may become complete in Him. We have mortgagedourselves to Satan, but Christ came to ransom and redeem us. We cannot purchaseanything from God. It is only by grace, the free gift of God in Christ, that we aresaved.

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Provision For Every Emergency, May 8

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the firstbegan to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that

heard him. Hebrews 2:3.[122]

The divine Author of salvation left nothing incomplete in the plan; every phaseof it is perfect. The sin of the whole world was laid upon Jesus, and divinity gaveits highest value to the suffering of humanity in Jesus that the whole world mightbe pardoned through faith in the Substitute. The most guilty need have no fear butthat God will pardon, for because of the efficacy of the divine sacrifice the penaltyof the law will be remitted. Through Christ the sinner may return to allegiance toGod.

How wonderful is the plan of redemption in its simplicity and fullness. It notonly provides for the full pardon of the sinner but also for the restoration of thetransgressor, making a way whereby he may be accepted as a son of God. Throughobedience he may be the possessor of love and peace and joy. His faith mayunite him in his weakness to Christ, the source of divine strength, and through themerits of Christ he may find the approval of God, because Christ has satisfied thedemands of the law, and He imputes His righteousness to the penitent, believingsoul....

What love, what wonderful love, was displayed by the Son of God....Christtakes the sinner from the lowest degradation, and purifies, refines, and ennobleshim. By beholding Jesus as He is, the sinner is transformed and elevated to thevery summit of dignity, even to a seat with Christ upon his throne....

The plan of redemption provides for every emergency and for every want ofthe soul. If it were deficient in any way, the sinner might find some excuse toplead for neglect of its terms, but the infinite God had a knowledge of every humannecessity, and ample provision has been made to supply every need.... What, then,can the sinner say in the great day of final judgment as to why he refused to giveattention, the most thorough and earnest, to the salvation proffered him?

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A Faith That Purifies The Life, May 9

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness,godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, layhold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a

good profession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11, 12.

Many teach that all that is necessary to salvation is to believe in Jesus, but whatsaith the word of truth?—“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). We are to“fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,” take up the cross, deny self,war against the flesh, and follow daily in the footsteps of the Redeemer....[123]

It is a fatal mistake to think that there is nothing for you to do in obtainingsalvation. You are to cooperate with the agencies of heaven....There is a cross tobe lifted in the pathway, a wall to be scaled before you enter the eternal city, aladder to be climbed before the gate of pearl is reached, and as you realize yourinability and weakness and cry for help, a divine voice will come to you from thebattlements of heaven saying, “Take hold of my strength” (Isaiah 27:5)....

The controversy that was waged between Christ and Satan is renewed overevery soul that leaves the black banner of the prince of darkness to march underthe blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel. The evil one will present the mostsubtle allurements to draw those away from their allegiance who would be trueto Heaven, but we must yield all the powers of our being into the service of God,and then we shall be kept from falling into the snares of the enemy....

Any course of action that weakens your physical or mental power unfits youfor the service of your Creator. We are to love God with all our hearts, and ifwe have an eye single to His glory we shall eat, drink, and clothe ourselves withreference to His divine will. Every one who has a realizing sense of what it meansto be a Christian will purify himself from everything that weakens and defiles. Allthe habits of his life will be brought into harmony with the requirements of theWord of truth, and he will not only believe, but will work out his own salvationwith fear and trembling, while submitting to the molding of the Holy Spirit.

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Children, Not Slaves, May 10

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us havegrace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly

fear. Hebrews 12:28.

There are many who profess to be Christ’s followers and yet are not doers ofHis Word. They do not relish this Word because it presents service which is notagreeable to them. They do not relish the wholesome reproofs and close, earnestappeals. They do not love righteousness, but are mastered and tyrannized over bytheir own erratic, human impulses.

It makes every difference how we do service for God. The boy who drudgesthrough his lessons because he must learn will never become a real student. Theman who claims to keep the commandments of God because he thinks he must doit will never enter into the enjoyment of obedience.

The essence and flavor of all obedience is the outworking of a principlewithin—the love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of allrighteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer, doing right because it is right. When [124]the Word of God is a burden because it cuts directly across human inclinations,then the religious life is not a Christian life, but a tug and a strain, an enforcedobedience. All the purity and godliness of religion are set aside.

But adoption into the family of God makes us children, not slaves. Whenthe love of Christ enters the heart we strive to imitate the character of Christ....The more we study the life of Christ with a heart to learn, the more Christlike webecome. Into the heart of every true doer of the Word the Holy Spirit infuses clearunderstanding. The more we crucify selfish practices by imparting our blessingsto others and by exercising our God-given ability, the more the heavenly graceswill be strengthened and increased in us. We will grow in spirituality, in patience,in fortitude, in meekness, in gentleness.... A train of cars is not merely attached tothe engine; they follow on the same track as the engine. Whom are we following?

141

Abiding In Christ, May 11

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except itabide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:4.

“Abide in me” are words of great significance. Abiding in Christ means aliving, earnest, refreshing faith that works by love and purifies the soul. It meansa constant receiving of the spirit of Christ, a life of unreserved surrender to Hisservice. Where this union exists, good works will appear. The life of the vine willmanifest itself in fragrant fruit on the branches. The continual supply of the graceof Christ will bless you and make you a blessing, till you can say with Paul, “Iam crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me”(Galatians 2:20).

The sacred union with Christ will unite the brethren in the most endearingbonds of Christian fellowship. Their hearts will be touched with divine compassionone for another.... Coldness, variance, strife, are entirely out of place among thedisciples of Christ. They have accepted the one faith. They have joined to servethe one Lord, to endure in the same warfare, to strive for the same object, and totriumph in the same cause. They have been bought with the same precious blood,and have gone forth to preach the same message of salvation....

Those who are constantly drawing strength from Christ will possess His spirit.They will not be careless in word or deportment. An abiding sense of how muchtheir salvation has cost in the sacrifice of the beloved Son of God will rest upontheir souls. Like a fresh and vivid transaction the scenes of Calvary will present[125]themselves to their minds and their hearts will be subdued and made tender bythis wonderful manifestation of the love of Christ to them. They will look uponothers as the purchase of His precious blood, and those who are united with Himwill seem noble and elevated and sacred because of this connection. The deathof Christ on Calvary should lead us to estimate souls as He did. His love hasmagnified the value of every man, woman, and child.

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A Life Of Strength, May 12

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the nightcometh, when no man can work. John 9:4.

The Christian life does not consist merely in the exercise of meekness, patience,humility, and kindness. One may possess these precious and amiable traits andyet be nerveless and spiritless, and almost useless when the work goes hard. Suchpersons lack the positiveness and energy, the solidity and strength of character,which would enable them to resist evil, and would make them a power in the causeof God.

Jesus was our example in all things, and He was an earnest and constantworker. He commenced His life of usefulness in childhood. At the age of twelveHe was “about his Father’s business.” Between the ages of twelve and thirty,before entering upon His public ministry, He led a life of active industry. In Hisministry Jesus was never idle. Said He, “I must work the works of him that sentme....” The suffering who came to Him were not turned away unrelieved. He wasacquainted with each heart and knew how to minister to its needs. Loving wordsfell from His lips to comfort, encourage, and bless, and the great principles of thekingdom of heaven were set before the multitudes in words so simple as to beunderstood by all.

Jesus was a silent and unselfish worker. He did not seek fame, riches, orapplause, neither did He consult His own ease and pleasure....He did not shirkcare and responsibility, as many do who profess to be His followers....

The claims of Christ upon our service are new every day. However completemay have been our consecration at conversion, it will avail us nothing unless itbe renewed daily, but a consecration that embraces the actual present is fresh,genuine, and acceptable to God. We have not weeks and months to lay at His feet;tomorrow is not ours, for we have not yet received it, but today we may work forJesus. Today we may lay our plans and purposes before Him for His inspectionand approval....This is God’s day, and you are His hired servant. [126]

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Jesus Our All, May 13

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, andrighteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30.

It is growth in knowledge of the character of Christ that sanctifies the soul. Todiscern and appreciate the wonderful work of the atonement transforms him whocontemplates the plan of salvation. By beholding Christ he becomes changed intothe same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord. The beholdingof Jesus becomes an ennobling, refining process.... The perfection of Christ’scharacter is the Christian’s inspiration... Christ should never be out of the mind.The angels said concerning Him, “Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall savehis people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus, precious Saviour! assurance,helpfulness, security, and peace are all in Him. He is the dispeller of all ourdoubts, the earnest of all our hopes. How precious is the thought that we mayindeed become partakers of the divine nature, whereby we may overcome as Christovercame! Jesus is the fullness of our expectation. He is the melody of our songs,the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. He is living water to the thirsty soul.He is our refuge in the storm. He is our righteousness, our sanctification, ourredemption.

The power of Christ is to be the comfort, the hope, the crown of rejoicing, ofevery one that follows Jesus in his conflict, in his struggles in life. He who trulyfollows the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, can shout ashe advances, “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1John 5:4).

What kind of faith is it that overcomes the world? It is that faith whichmakes Christ your own personal Saviour—that faith which, recognizing yourhelplessness, your utter inability to save yourself, takes hold of the helper whois mighty to save, as your only hope. It is faith that will not be discouraged, thathears the voice of Christ saying, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,and my divine strength is yours.” ... “Lo, I am with you alway.”

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The Coming Of The Comforter, May 14

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that hemay abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the

[127]world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye knowhim; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:16, 17.

Christ was about to depart to His home in the heavenly courts, but He assuredHis disciples that He would send them the Comforter, who would abide with themforever. To the guidance of this Comforter all may implicitly trust. He is the Spiritof truth; but this truth the world can neither see nor receive....

Christ desired His disciples to understand that He would not leave them or-phans. “I will not leave you comfortless,” He declared: “I will come to you”(John 14:18, 19).... Precious, glorious assurance of eternal life! Even though Hewas to be absent, their relation to Him was to be that of a child to its parent....

The words spoken to the disciples come to us through their words. TheComforter is ours as well as theirs, at all times and in all places, in all sorrowsand in all affliction, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing andwe feel helpless and alone. These are times when the Comforter will be sent inanswer to the prayer of faith.

There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is touched withthe feeling of our infirmities. His Spirit speaks to the heart. Circumstances mayseparate us from our friends; the broad, restless ocean may roll between us andthem. Though their sincere friendship may still exist, they may be unable todemonstrate it by doing for us that which would be gratefully received. Butno circumstances, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly Comforter.Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always there, one given in Christ’splace, to act in His stead. He is always at our right hand, to speak soothing,gentle words, to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer. The influence of the HolySpirit is the life of Christ in the soul. This Spirit works in and through everyone who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of this Spirit reveal itsfruit—love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

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Building Up One Another, May 15

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not toplease ourselves. Romans 15:1.

God does not want us to place ourselves upon the judgment seat and judge eachother.... When we see errors in others, let us remember that we have faults graver,perhaps, in the sight of God than the fault we condemn in our brother. Insteadof publishing his defects, ask God to bless him and to help him to overcome hiserror. Christ will approve of this spirit and action, and will open the way for you[128]to speak a word of wisdom that will impart strength and help to him who is weakin the faith.

The work of building one another up in the most holy faith is a blessed work,but the work of tearing down is a work full of bitterness and sorrow. Christidentifies Himself with His suffering children, for He says, “Inasmuch as ye havedone it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”(Matthew 25:40).... Every heart has its own sorrows and disappointments, and weshould seek to lighten one another’s burdens by manifesting the love of Jesus tothose around us. If our conversation were upon heaven and heavenly things, evilspeaking would soon cease to have any attraction for us....

Instead of finding fault with others, let us be critical with ourselves. Thequestion with each one of us should be, Is my heart right before God? Will thiscourse of action glorify my Father which is in heaven? If you have cherished awrong spirit, let it be banished from the soul. It is your duty to eradicate fromyour heart everything that is of a defiling nature. Every root of bitterness shouldbe plucked up, lest others be contaminated by its baleful influence. Do not allowone poisonous plant to remain in the soil of your heart. Root it out this very hour,and plant in its stead the plant of love. Let Jesus be enshrined in the soul. Christ isour example. He went about doing good. He lived to bless others. Love beautifiedand ennobled all His actions, and we are commanded to follow in His steps.

146

Opening The Mysteries Of Redemption, May 16

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand thescriptures. Luke 24:45.

The Lord wants every one of us to have a deeper, richer experience in theknowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He desires that we shall grow inknowledge—not earthward, but heaven-ward, upward to Christ our living Head.How high, how great, is this knowledge to be? To the full stature of men andwomen in Christ Jesus. We cannot grow too much, we cannot gather up too manyof the precious rays of light that God sends us....

We know falsehoods are coming in like a swift current, and that is just thereason why we want every ray of light that God has for us, that we may be able tostand amid the perils of the last days....

O how Christ longs to open before us the mysteries of redemption! He longedto do this for His disciples when He was among them on earth, but they were notfar enough advanced in spiritual knowledge to comprehend His words. He had [129]to say to them, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear themnow” (John 16:12). O how much better could they have borne the terrible ordealthrough which they had to pass at His trial and crucifixion if they had advancedand been able to bear the instruction of Christ! Shall we not let Jesus open ourunderstanding? ...

We are on the borders of the eternal world, and we must have a testimony withwhich all heaven shall be in harmony.

The Lord is coming, and we must be ready! Every moment I want His grace—Iwant the robe of Christ’s righteousness. We must humble our souls before Godas never before, come low to the foot of the cross, and He will put a word in ourmouths to speak for Him, even praise unto our God. He will teach us a strainfrom the song of the angels, even thanksgiving to our heavenly Father. We can donothing of ourselves, but God wants to touch our lips with a living coal from offthe altar. He wants to sanctify our tongues—to sanctify our whole being.

147

Truths That Transform, May 17

The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edgedsword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of thejoints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the

heart. Hebrews 4:12.

The truths of the Bible, treasured in the heart and mind and obeyed in the life,convince and convert the soul, transform the character, and comfort and uplift theheart.... The Word makes the proud humble, the perverse meek and contrite, thedisobedient obedient. The sinful habits natural to man are interwoven with thedaily practice. But the Word cuts away the fleshly lusts. It is a discerner of thethoughts and intents of the mind. It divides the joints and marrow, cutting awaythe lusts of the flesh, making men willing to suffer for their Lord.

The service of Christ is a heavenly and holy and blessed thing. The Word is tobe diligently searched, for the ministry of the Word discovers the imperfectionsin our characters and teaches us that the sanctification of the Spirit is a work ofheavenly devising, presenting in Christ Jesus the true perfection that if maintainedwill become a perfect whole in behalf of every soul. We are educated in Biblelines to become complete in Christlikeness and to see His Father’s face in Himwho gave His own life for the saving of the soul.

If you are an intelligent Christian you will maintain religious vitality and willnot be deterred by difficulties.... You will work the works of God in gloom as wellas in glory, in shade as well as in sunshine, in trial as well as in peace. The truth[130]must be treasured up in your heart as well as incorporated in your being, so thatno temptation and no argument can induce you to yield to Satan’s suggestions ordevices. The truth is precious. It has wrought important changes upon the life andupon the character, exerting a masterly influence over words, deportment, thoughts,and experience. The soul who appreciates the truth lives under its influence andsenses the tremendous realities of eternal things. He lives not to himself, but toJesus Christ who died for him. To him, God lives and is very cognizant of all hiswords and actions.

148

A Never-Failing Refuge, May 18

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication withthanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6.

It is not the will of God that His people should be weighed down with care.But our Lord does not deceive us. He does not say to us, “Do not fear; there are nodangers in your path.” He knows there are trials and dangers, and He deals withus plainly. He does not propose to take His people out of a world of sin and evil,but He points them to a never-failing refuge....

How can we remain in doubt, questioning whether Jesus loves us, sinful thoughwe be and compassed with infirmities? He gave Himself for us that He mightredeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous ofgood works. He came to our world in the humble guise of a man, that He mightbecome acquainted with the griefs and temptations that beset man’s pathway, andthat He might know how to help the weary with His offer of rest and peace. Butthousands upon thousands refuse His assistance and only cling more firmly totheir burden of care. He comes to the afflicted, and offers to soothe their grief andheal their sorrow.... To the disappointed, the unbelieving, and the unhappy Heoffers contentment, while pointing to mansions that He is preparing for them....Jesus, our precious Saviour, should be first in our thoughts and affections, and weshould trust Him with entire confidence....

As each day comes we must in the strength of Jesus meet its trials and tempta-tions. If we fail one day we add to the burdens of the next, and have less strength.We should not cloud the future by our carelessness in the present, but by thoughtfuland careful performance of today’s duties be preparing to meet the emergenciesof tomorrow.

We need to cultivate a spirit of cheerfulness.... Let us ever look on the brightside of life and be hopeful, full of love and good works, rejoicing in the Lord [131]always. “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts,” and “be ye thankful” (Colos-sians 3:15).

149

A Progressive Faith, May 19

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to Godmust believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently

seek him. Hebrews 11:6.

The time has come when we are to expect large blessings from the Lord. Wemust rise to a higher standard on the subject of faith. We have too little faith. TheWord of God is our endorsement. We must take it, simply believing every word.With this assurance we may claim large things, and according to our faith it willbe unto us....

The work of faith means more than we think. It means genuine reliance uponthe naked word of God. By our actions we are to show that we believe thatGod will do just as He has said. The wheels of nature and of providence arenot appointed to roll backward nor to stand still. We must have an advancing,working faith, a faith that works by love and purifies the soul from every vestigeof selfishness. It is not self, but God, that we must depend upon. We must notcherish unbelief. We must have that faith that takes God at His word....

True faith consists in doing just what God has enjoined, not manufacturingthings He has not enjoined. Justice, truth, mercy, are the fruit of faith. We need towalk in the light of God’s law; then good works will be the fruit of our faith, theproceeds of a heart renewed every day. The tree must be made good before thefruit can be good. We must be wholly consecrated to God. Our will must be maderight before the fruit can be good. We must have no fitful religion. “Whatsoeverye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

O what a field is opened before me! Our people must have the deep workingof the Spirit of God every day. They must have a faith that works by love, a faiththat emanates from God. There must not be a thread of selfishness drawn into thefabric. When our faith works by love, just such a love as Christ revealed in Hislife, it will be of a firm texture; it will be the fruit of a will subdued. But not untilself dies can Christ live in us. Not until self dies can we possess a faith that worksby love and purifies the soul.[132]

150

The Mighty Deliverer, May 20

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, whichwalketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts. Isaiah 65:2.

The Lord God through Christ holds out His hand all the day long in invitationsto the needy. He will receive all. He welcomes all. He rejects none. It is His gloryto pardon the chief of sinners. He will take the prey from the mighty, He willdeliver the captive, He will pluck the brand from the burning. He will lower thegolden chain of His mercy to the greatest depths of human wretchedness and guiltand lift up the debased soul contaminated with sin. But man must will to come,and cooperate in the work of saving his soul by availing himself of opportunitiesgiven him of God. The Lord forces no one. The spotless wedding robe of Christ’srighteousness is prepared to clothe the sinner, but if he refuses it he must perish.

The record of the past can be blotted out with His [Christ’s] blood, the pagemade clean and white. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be redlike crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18)....

The words falling from the lips of Jesus, “Thy sins be forgiven thee”(Matthew 9:2), are worth everything to us. He saith, I have borne your sinsin My own body on Calvary’s cross. He sees your sorrows. His hand is laid uponthe head of every contrite soul, and Jesus becomes our Advocate before the Father,and our Saviour. The lowly, contrite heart will make very much of forgiveness andpardon....

We may repeat His tender compassion for us to others who are wandering inthe mazes of sin. The grace of Christ revealed to us must be tenderly revealed toothers. A great tenderness and compassion will fill the soul for human beings whoare still under the control of Satan. Christ is to be multiplied in every man andwoman who believes in Him, for they are to live over the life of Christ in blessingand enlightening and bringing hope and peace and joy to other hearts.

151

How To Get Rid Of Guilt, May 21

Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by thetransgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for

ever, because he delighteth in mercy. Micah 7:18.[133]

I am glad indeed that our feelings are no evidence that we are not childrenof God. The enemy will tempt you to think that you have done things that haveseparated you from God, and that He no longer loves you, but our Lord loves usstill....

Look away from yourself to the perfection of Christ. We cannot manufacturea righteousness for ourselves. Christ has in His hands the pure robes of righteous-ness, and He will put them upon us. He will speak sweet words of forgiveness andpromise. He presents to our thirsty souls fountains of living water whereby wemay be refreshed. He bids us come unto Him with all our burdens, all our griefs,and He says we shall find rest....

Jesus sees the guilt of the past, and speaks pardon, and we must not dishonorHim by doubting His love. This feeling of guiltiness must be laid at the foot ofthe cross of Calvary. The sense of sinfulness has poisoned the springs of life andof true happiness. Now Jesus says, “Lay it all on Me. I will take your sins; I willgive you peace. Banish no longer your self-respect, for I have bought you withthe price of My own blood. You are Mine. Your weakened will I will strengthen;your remorse for sin I will remove.” Then turn your grateful heart, trembling withuncertainty, to Him and lay hold on the hope set before you. God accepts yourbroken, contrite heart, and extends to you free pardon. He offers to adopt you intoHis family, with His grace to help your weakness, and the dear Saviour will leadyou on step by step, you placing your hand in His and letting Him guide you.

Search for the precious promises of God. If Satan thrusts threatenings beforeyour mind, turn from them and cling to the promises, and let your soul be com-forted by their brightness. The cloud is dark in itself, but when filled with the lightit is turned to the brightness of gold, for the glory of God is upon it.

152

The Only Path Of Safety, May 22

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walkye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Isaiah 30:21.

I know that human beings suffer much because they step out of the path thatGod has chosen for them to follow. They walk in the sparks of the fire they havekindled themselves, and the sure result is affliction, unrest, and sorrow, which theymight have avoided if they had submitted their will to God and had permitted Himto control their ways. God sees that it is necessary to oppose our will and our way, [134]and bring our human will into subjection.

Whatever path God chooses for us, whatever way He ordains for our feet, thatis the only path of safety. We are daily to cherish a spirit of childlike submission,and pray that our eyes may be anointed with the heavenly eyesalve in order thatwe may discern the indications of the divine will, lest we become confused in ourideas, because our will seems to be all-controlling. With the eye of faith, withchildlike submission as obedient children, we must look to God, to follow Hisguidance, and difficulties will clear away. The promise is, “I will instruct thee andteach thee ... : I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psalm 32:8)....

If we come to God in a humble and teachable spirit, not with our plans allformed before we ask Him, and shaped according to our own will, but in submis-sion, in willingness to be taught, in faith, it is our privilege to claim the promiseevery hour of the day. We may distrust ourselves, and we need to guard againstour own inclinations and strong tendencies lest we shall follow our mind and plansand think it is the way of the Lord....

Our heavenly Father is our Ruler, and we must submit to His discipline. We aremembers of His family. He has a right to our service, and if one of the members ofHis family would persist in having his own way, persist in doing just that which hepleased, that spirit would bring about a disordered and perplexing state of things.We must not study to have our own way, but God’s way and God’s will.

153

The March To Victory, May 23

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord JesusChrist. 1 Corinthians 15:57.

Nothing can be more helpless, nothing can be more dependent, than the soulthat feels its nothingness and relies wholly upon the merits of the blood of acrucified and risen Saviour. The Christian life is a life of warfare, of continualconflict. It is a battle and a march. But every act of obedience to Christ, everyact of self-denial for His sake, every trial well endured, every victory gained overtemptation, is a step in the march to the glory of final victory.

If we take Christ for our guide, He will lead us safely along the narrow way.The road may be rough and thorny; the ascent may be steep and dangerous; theremay be pitfalls upon the right hand and upon the left; we may have to endure toilin our journey; when weary, when longing for rest, we may have to toil on; whenfaint, we may have to fight; when discouraged, we may be called upon to hope;[135]but with Christ as our Guide we shall not lose the path to immortal life, we shallnot fail to reach the desired haven at last.

Christ Himself has trod the rough pathway before us and has smoothed thepath for our feet. The narrow path of holiness, the way cast up for the ransomedof the Lord to walk in, is illuminated by Him who is the light of the world. Aswe follow in His steps, His light will shine upon us, and as we reflect the lightborrowed from the glory of Christ, the path will grow brighter and brighter untothe perfect day.

We may think it pleasant at first to follow pride and worldly ambition, but theend is pain and sorrow. Selfish plans may present flattering promises and hold outthe hope of enjoyment, but we shall find that our happiness is poisoned and ourlife embittered by hopes that center in self. In following Christ we are safe, forHe will not suffer the powers of darkness to hurt one hair of our heads. He willkeep that which is committed to His trust, and we shall be more than conquerorsthrough Him that loved us.

154

“Come Ye Yourselves Apart”, May 24

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart:wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14.

No other life was ever so crowded with labor and responsibility as was that ofJesus, yet how often He was found in prayer! How constant was His communionwith God! ... As one with us, a sharer in our needs and weaknesses, He waswholly dependent upon God, and in the secret place of prayer He sought divinestrength that He might go forth braced for duty and trial. In a world of sin Jesusendured struggles and torture of soul. In communion with God He could unburdenthe sorrows that were crushing Him....

In Christ the cry of humanity reached the Father of infinite pity. As a manHe supplicated the throne of God till His humanity was charged with a heavenlycurrent that should connect humanity with divinity. Through continual communionHe received life from God, that He might impart life to the world. His experienceis to be ours. “Come ye yourselves apart” (Mark 6:31), He bids us. If we wouldgive heed to His Word we should be stronger and more useful.... If today we wouldtake time to go to Jesus and tell Him our needs we should not be disappointed; Hewould be at our right hand to help us....

In all who are under the training of God is to be revealed a life that is not [136]in harmony with the world, its customs, or its practices, and everyone needs tohave a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God. We mustindividually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed,and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinctthe voice of God. He bids us, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).Here alone can true rest be found. And this is the effectual preparation for all wholabor for God. Amid the hurrying throng and the strain of life’s intense activities,the soul that is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light andpeace. The life will breathe out fragrance and will reveal a divine power that willreach men’s hearts.

155

The Preciousness Of Secret Prayer, May 25

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God isa refuge for us. Psalm 62:8.

A deep sense of our need and a great desire for the things for which we askmust characterize our prayers, else they will not be heard. But we are not tobecome weary and cease our petitions because the answer is not immediatelyreceived. “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it byforce” (Matthew 11:12). The violence here meant is a holy earnestness, such asJacob manifested. We need not try to work ourselves up into an intense feeling,but calmly, persistently, we are to press our petitions at the throne of grace. Ourwork is to humble our souls before God, confessing our sins, and in faith drawingnigh unto God.... It is the design of God to reveal Himself in His providence and inHis grace. The object of our prayers must be the glory of God, not the glorificationof ourselves....

God has honored us by showing how greatly He values us. We are boughtwith a price, even the precious blood of the Son of God. When His heritage shallconscientiously follow the Word of the Lord, His blessing will rest upon them inanswer to their prayers. “Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to mewith all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: andrend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for heis gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Joel 2:12, 13).

In secret prayer the soul should be laid bare to the inspecting eye of God....How precious is secret prayer—the soul communing with God! Secret prayer is tobe heard only by the prayer-hearing God. No curious ear is to receive the burdenof petitions. Calmly, yet fervently, the soul is to reach out after God; and sweet[137]and abiding will be the influence emanating from Him who sees in secret, whoseear is open to the prayer arising from the heart. He who in simple faith holdscommunion with God will gather to himself divine rays of light to strengthen andsustain him in the conflict with Satan.

156

The Motive For Obedience, May 26

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and hiscommandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3.

It is the keeping of the commandments of God that honors and glorifies Himin His chosen. Wherefore every soul to whom God has given reasoning facultiesis under obligation to God to search the Word and ascertain all that is enjoinedupon us as God’s purchased possession. We should seek to understand all thatthe Word requires of us.... We cannot show greater honor to our God, whose weare by creation and redemption, than to give evidence to the beings of heaven,to the worlds unfallen, and to fallen men, that we diligently hearken unto all Hiscommandments, which are the laws that govern His kingdom.

We need to study diligently that we may gain a knowledge of the laws of God.How can we be obedient subjects if we fail to understand the laws that governthe kingdom of God? Then open your Bibles and search for everything that willenlighten you in regard to the precepts of God; and when you discern a Thussaith the Lord, ask not the opinion of men, but whatever the cost to yourself, obeycheerfully. Then the blessing of God will rest upon you....

Often ask prayerfully, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Am I in any waydisregarding the divine precepts? Am I in any way placing my influence on theenemy’s side? Am I showing a careless disregard of God’s commandments? AmI willing to yoke up with Christ, to lift the burdens, and to be a co-laborer withHim? Am I studying out possible excuses for neglecting obedience to a Thus saiththe Lord? Am I risking the consequences of neglect to obey the clearly revealedprecepts of Jehovah because I am not willing to come out from the world and beseparate? Shall the fear of man have a greater influence over me than the fear ofGod?”

Surrender yourself to God, saying, “Here, Lord, I give myself away; ‘tis allthat I can do.’ I will not be found in disobedience to Thy law, for that would placeme in the enemy’s ranks.” [138]

157

Filled With His Fullness, May 27

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might befilled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:19.

There are many who think that it is impossible to escape from the power ofsin, but the promise is that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. Weaim too low. The mark is much higher. Our minds need expansion, that we maycomprehend the significance of the provision of God. We are to reflect the highestattributes of the character of God. We should be thankful that we are not to be leftto ourselves. The law of God is the exalted standard to which we are to attain....We are not to walk according to our own ideas..., but we are to follow in thefootsteps of Christ.

The work of overcoming is in our hands, but we are not to overcome in ourown name or strength, for of ourselves we cannot keep the commandments ofGod. The Spirit of God must help our infirmities. Christ has become our sacrificeand surety. He has become sin for us that we might become the righteousness ofGod in Him. Through faith in His name He imputes unto us His righteousness,and it becomes a living principle in our life.... Christ imputes to us His sinlesscharacter and presents us to the Father in His own purity.

We cannot provide a robe of righteousness for ourselves, for the prophet says,“All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). There is nothing in usfrom which we can clothe the soul so that its nakedness shall not appear. We are toreceive the robe of righteousness woven in the loom of heaven, even the spotlessrobe of Christ’s righteousness. We are to say, “He died for me. He bore my soul’sdisgrace, that in His name I might be an overcomer and be exalted to His throne.”

It is privilege of the children of God to be filled with all the fullness of God.“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask orthink, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the churchby Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end” (Ephesians 3:20, 21).[139]

158

An Example Of The Believers, May 28

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live

soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. Titus 2:11, 12.

There is a great work for us to do if we would inherit eternal life. We are todeny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live a life of righteousness.... There isno salvation for us except in Jesus, for it is through faith in Him that we receivepower to become the sons of God. But it is not merely a passing faith, it is faiththat works the works of Christ.... Living faith makes itself manifest by exhibitinga spirit of sacrifice and devotion toward the cause of God. Those who possessit stand under the banner of Prince Emmanuel and wage a successful warfareagainst the powers of darkness. They stand ready to do whatsoever their Captaincommands. Each one is exhorted to be “an example of the believers, in word, inconversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12), for we areto “live soberly, righteously, and godly” in this present evil world, representingthe character of Christ, and manifesting His spirit....

Those who are connected with Jesus are in union with the Maker and Upholderof all things. They have a power that the world cannot give nor take away. Butwhile great and exalted privileges are given to them, they are not simply to rejoicein their blessings. As stewards of the manifold grace of God they are to becomea blessing to others. They are entrusted with great truth, and “unto whomsoevermuch is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48). There are weightyresponsibilities resting upon all who have received the message for this time. Theyare to exert an influence that will draw others to the light of God’s Word.... We areour brother’s keeper....

If we are true believers in Jesus we shall be gathering rays from glory, and weshall shed light on the darkened pathway of those around us. We shall reveal thegracious character of our Redeemer, and many will be drawn by our influence to“behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). [140]

159

Putting Our Gifts To Work, May 29

But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, andanother after that. 1 Corinthians 7:7.

God gives more than money to His stewards. Your talent of imparting is agift. What are you communicating of the gifts of God, in your words, in yourtender sympathy? ... The knowledge of truth is a talent. There are many souls indarkness that might be enlightened by true, faithful words from you. There arehearts that are hungering for sympathy, perishing away from God. Your sympathymay help them. The Lord has need of your words, dictated by His Holy Spirit....

The first work for all Christians to do is to search the Scriptures with mostearnest prayer, that they may have that faith that works by love and purifies thesoul from every thread of selfishness. If the truth is received into the heart, itworks like good leaven, until every power is brought into subjection to the will ofGod. Then you can no more help shining than can the sun....

All natural gifts are to be sanctified as precious endowments. They are to beconsecrated to God, that they may minister for the Master. All social advantagesare talents. They are not to be devoted to self-pleasing, amusement, or self-gratification.... The gift of correct example is a great thing. But many gather aboutthe soul an atmosphere that is malarious....

The gifts of speech, of knowledge, of sympathy and love, communicate aknowledge of Christ. All these gifts are to be converted to God. The Lord standsin need of them, He calls for them. All are to act a part in preparing their ownsouls and the souls of others to rededicate their talents to God. Every soul, everygift, is to be laid under contribution to God. All are to cooperate with God inthe work of saving souls. The talents you possess are given you of God to makeyou efficient colaborers with Christ. There are hearts hungering for sympathy,perishing for the help and assistance God has given you to give to them.

160

Exalting The Man Of Calvary, May 30

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Sonof man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not

[141]perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14, 15.

I point you to the cross of Calvary. I ask you to consider the infinite sacrificemade in your behalf that through faith in Jesus Christ you may not perish but haveeverlasting life.... I point you to Jesus. You are safe in committing to Him theinnermost working of your mind. The Lord Jesus hath purchased you with aninfinite price. You may commit the keeping of your soul to Jesus. You may trustHim as your Counselor.... Constantly draw nigh unto God. He will help you.

O be sure you receive your illumination from the Source of all light. He isthe great central Light of the universe of heaven and the great Light of the world.He will enlighten every man that cometh into the world. Reach no cheap, lowstandard. Cultivate the gentleness of Christ. Secure the highest attainments, anddraw your inspiration from Jesus Christ. He is your Friend. You may alwaysdepend upon Him and find Him faithful and true. When you need His sympathyin your greatest perplexity, wounded and bruised, He will not pass you by on theother side. To Him you may come in the simplicity of children. To Him you maycome with joy and rejoicing. With everything that is flattering to your hopes, everysuccess which attends your labors in the Lord, look up to Jesus and lay everyhonor at His feet. Everything depends upon your walking in all humility of mind.Write the name of Christ upon your banner and never dishonor your colors.

All heaven was given to us in Christ Jesus.... O honor Jesus by giving to Himthe heart’s best and holiest services! He has given His life for you. Who is He thathath done this? The only begotten Son of God, He that was One with the Fatherbefore the world was.

Lift up your banner, lift it up higher. Never, never let it trail in the dust of theearth. Exalt Jesus. Lift Him up, the Man of Calvary, higher and still higher.

161

We Shall See His Face, May 31

And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.Revelation 22:4.

We cannot now see the glory of God, but it is only by receiving Him here thatwe shall be able by and by to see Him face to face. God would have us keep oureyes fixed on Him, that we may lose sight of the things of this world. We have ...no time for any of us to delay that preparation which will enable us to see the faceof God....

Only by looking to Jesus, the Lamb of God, and following in His steps, can[142]you prepare to meet God. Follow Him, and you will one day walk the goldenstreets of the city of God. You will see Him who laid aside His royal garments andHis kingly crown, and disguising Himself with humanity, came to our world andbore our sins, that He might lift us up and give us a revelation of His glory andmajesty. We shall see Him face to face if we now give ourselves up to be moldedand fashioned by Him and prepared for a place in the kingdom of God.

Those who consecrate their lives to the service of God will live with Himthrough the ceaseless ages of eternity. “God himself shall be with them, and betheir God” (Revelation 21:3)....

Their minds were given to God in this world; they served Him with their heartand intellect, and now He can put His name in their foreheads. “And there shallno night there; ... for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for everand ever” (Revelation 22:5). They do not go in as those that beg a place there,for Christ says to them, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdomprepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). He takesthem as His children, saying, Enter ye into the joy of your Lord. The crown ofimmortality is placed on the brow of the overcomers. They take their crowns andcast them at the feet of Jesus, and touching their golden harps, they fill all heavenwith rich music in songs of praise to the Lamb. Then “they shall see his face; andhis name shall be in their foreheads.”

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June—In Heavenly Places

Learning Of God Through His Works, June 1

The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. Allthy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.

Psalm 145:9, 10.

We love to contemplate the character and love of God in His created works.What evidences has He given the children of men of His power, as well as of Hisparental love! He has garnished the heavens and made grand and beautiful theearth.

“O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! ... When Iconsider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thouhast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, thatthou visitest him?”“All thy works praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall blessthee” (Psalm 8:1, 3, 4; 145:10).

Had our world been formed with a perfectly level surface the monotony wouldhave fatigued the eye and wearied the senses. God has adorned our world withgrand mountains, hills, valleys, and ranges of mountains. The rugged granite,[143]bare mountains, also the mountains decorated with evergreens and verdure, andthe valleys with their softened beauty make the world a mirror of loveliness. Thegoodness, wisdom, and power of God are manifest everywhere. In mountains,rocks, hills, and valleys, I see the works of divine power. I can never be lonelywhile viewing the grand scenery of nature. On the journey over the plains andmountains I have had feelings of the deepest reverence and awe while viewing thefrowning precipice and snow-capped mountain heights.

The mountains, hills, and valleys should be to us as schools in which to studythe character of God in His created works. The works of God which we may viewin the ever-varying scenes—in mountains, hills, and valleys, in trees, shrubs, andflowers, in every leaf, every spire of grass—should teach us lessons of the skilland love of God and of His infinite power.

Those who study nature cannot be lonesome. They love the quiet hours ofmeditation, for they feel that they are brought in close communion with God whiletracing His power in His created works.

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Not To Condemn But To Save, June 2

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that theworld through him might be saved. John 3:17.

There are souls who are trembling in unbelief. They ask, “How can I knowthat God is reconciled to me? How can I be assured that He loves and pardonsme?” It is not for you, dear youth, to make yourselves just with God. Jesus invitesyou to come to Him with all your burdens and perplexities.... Accept the promiseand the provision that God has made.... Look away from self to Jesus; for in Christthe character of the Father is revealed.

The blood of Christ in ever-abiding efficacy is our only hope, for through Hismerits alone we have pardon and peace.

The character of God as revealed by Christ invites our faith and love, for wehave a Father whose mercy and compassion fail not. At every step of our journeyheavenward He will be with us to guide in every perplexity, to give us help inevery temptation.

Your reason and imagination should be touched with the life-giving power ofChrist, that forms of beauty and truth may be impressed thereon. There are greatand precious truths that demand your contemplation, in order that you may have asound foundation for your faith by having a correct knowledge of God. O that thesuperficial, vain seeker for truth would learn that the world by wisdom, however [144]much acquired, knew not God.

It is proper to seek to learn all that is possible from nature, but do not fail tolook from nature to Christ for the complete representation of the character of theliving God. By contemplation of Christ, by conformity to the divine likeness, yourconceptions of the divine character will expand, and your mind and heart will beelevated, refined, and ennobled. Let the youth aim high, not relying upon humanwisdom, but living day by day as seeing Him who is invisible, doing their work asin the sight of the intelligences of heaven....

He who constantly depends upon God through simple trust and prayerfulconfidence, will be surrounded by the angels of heaven. He who lives by faith inChrist, will be strengthened and upheld, able to fight the good fight of faith, andlay hold upon eternal life.

165

The Heavenly Election, June 3

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling andelection sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. 2 Peter 1:10.

This is the only election regarding which the Bible speaks. Fallen in sin,we may become partakers of the divine nature and attain to a knowledge far inadvance of any scientific learning. By partaking of the flesh and the blood of ourcrucified Lord, we shall gain life eternal. In the sixth of John we read: “Whosoeateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life” (John 6:54). “It is thespirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you,they are spirit, and they are life” (verse 63).

None need lose eternal life. Everyone who chooses daily to learn of theheavenly Teacher will make his calling and election sure. Let us humble our heartsbefore God and follow on to know Him whom to know aright is life eternal.

“Give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things,ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly intothe everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10, 11).

Here are your life-insurance papers. This is not an insurance policy the valueof which someone else will receive after your death; it is a policy that assures you alife measuring with the life of God—even eternal life. O what an assurance! whata hope! Let us ever reveal to the world that we are seeking for a better country,even a heavenly. Heaven has been made for us, and we want a part in it. We[145]cannot afford to allow anything to separate us from God and heaven. In this lifewe must be partakers of the divine nature. Brethren and sisters, you have only onelife to live. O let it be a life of virtue, a life hid with Christ in God!

Unitedly we are to help one another gain perfection of character. To this end,we are to cease all criticism. Onward and still onward we may advance towardperfection, until at last there will be ministered unto us an abundant entrance intothe heavenly kingdom.

166

Our Sure Foundation, June 4

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones,

wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the dayshall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try

every man’s work of what sort it is. 1 Corinthians 3:11-13.

As fire reveals the difference between gold, silver, and precious stones, andwood, hay, and stubble, so the day of judgment will test characters, showing thedifference between characters formed after Christ’s likeness and characters formedafter the likeness of the selfish heart. All selfishness, all false religion, will thenappear as it is. The worthless material will be consumed; but the gold of true,simple, humble faith will never lose its value. It can never be consumed; for it isimperishable.

Character is not obtained by receiving an education. Character is not obtainedby amassing wealth or by gaining worldly honor. Character is not obtained byhaving others fight the battle of life for us. It must be sought, worked for, foughtfor; and it requires a purpose, a will, a determination. To form a character whichGod will approve, requires persevering effort. It will take a continual resisting ofthe powers of darkness to ... have our names retained in the book of life. Is it notworth more to have our names registered in that book, have them immortalizedamong the heavenly angels, than to have them sounded in praise throughout thewhole earth?

In the probationary time granted us here we are each building a structure thatis to have the inspection of the Judge of all the earth. This work is the molding ofour characters. Every act of our lives is a stone in that building, every faculty is aworker, every blow that is struck is for good or for evil. The words of inspirationwarn us to take heed how we build, to see that our foundation is sure. If we buildupon the solid rock, pure, noble, upright deeds, the structure will go up beautifuland symmetrical, a fit temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. [146]

167

The Happiest People, June 5

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thyright hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11.

Do not think that when you walk with Jesus you must walk in the shadow. Thehappiest people in the world are those who trust in Jesus and gladly do His bidding.From the lives of those who follow Him, unrest and discontent are banished....They may meet with trial and difficulty, but their lives are full of joy; for Christwalks beside them, and His presence makes the pathway bright....

When you arise in the morning, rise with the praise of God on your lips, andwhen you go out to work, go with a prayer to God for help.... Wait for a leaf fromthe tree of life. This will soothe and refresh you, filling your heart with peace andjoy. Fix your thoughts upon the Saviour. Go apart from the bustle of the worldand sit under Christ’s shadow. Then, amid the din of daily toil and conflict, yourstrength will be renewed. It is positively necessary for us to sit down sometimesand think of how the Saviour descended from heaven, from the throne of God,to show what human beings may become if they will unite their weakness to Hisstrength. Having gained renewal of strength by communion with God, we may goon our way rejoicing, praising Him for the privilege of bringing the sunshine ofChrist’s love into the lives of those we meet....

Heavenly intelligences are waiting to cooperate with human instrumentalities,that the world may see what human beings may become through a union withthe divine. Those who consecrate body, soul, and spirit to God’s service willconstantly receive a new endowment of physical, mental, and spiritual power. Theinexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command. Christ gives them the lifeof His life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in mind andheart. Through the grace given us we may achieve victories which, because ofour defects of character and the smallness of our faith, may have seemed to usimpossible.

To every one who offers himself to the Lord for service, withholding nothing,is given power for the attainment of measureless results.[147]

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Let Us Ask Of God, June 6

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all menliberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5.

It is the privilege of every believer first to talk with God in his closet, and thenas God’s mouthpiece to talk with others. In order that we may have something toimpart, we must daily receive light and blessing. Men and women who communewith God, who have an abiding Christ, who, because they cooperate with holyangels, are surrounded with holy influences, are needed at this time. The causeneeds those who have power to draw with Christ, power to express the love ofGod in words of encouragement and sympathy.

As the believer bows in supplication before God, and in humility and contritionoffers his petition from unfeigned lips, he loses all thought of self. His mind isfilled with the thought of what he must have in order to build up a Christlikecharacter. He prays, “Lord, if I am to be a channel through which Thy love is toflow day by day and hour by hour, I claim by faith the grace and power that Thouhast promised.” He fastens his hold firmly on the promise, “If any of you lackwisdom, let him ask of God, ... and it shall be given him.”

How this dependence pleases the Master! How He delights to hear the steady,earnest pleading! ... With wonderful and ennobling grace the Lord sanctifies thehumble petitioner, giving him power to perform the most difficult duties. All thatis undertaken is done unto the Lord, and this elevates and sanctifies the lowliestcalling. It invests with new dignity every word, every act, and links the humblestworker ... with the highest of the angels in the heavenly courts....

The sons and daughters of God have a great work to do in the world. They areto accept the Word of God as the man of their counsel and to impart it to others.They are to diffuse light. All who have received the engrafted word will be faithfulin giving that word to others. They will speak the words of Christ. In conversationand in deportment they will give evidence of a daily conversion to the principlesof truth. Such believers will be a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men,and God will be glorified in them. [148]

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Nothing Too Small, June 7

The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.Lamentations 3:25.

There are few who rightly appreciate or improve the precious privilege ofprayer. We should go to Jesus and tell Him all our needs. We may bring Himour little cares and perplexities as well as our greater troubles. Whatever arises todisturb or distress us, we should take it to the Lord in prayer.

We lose many precious blessings by failing to bring our needs and cares andsorrows to our Saviour. He is the wonderful Counselor. He looks upon His churchwith intense interest and with a heart full of tender sympathy. He enters into thedepth of our necessities. But our ways are not always His ways. He sees theresult of every action, and He asks us to trust patiently in His wisdom, not in thesupposedly wise plans of our own making.

Do not cease to pray. If the answer tarry, wait for it. Lay all your plans at thefeet of the Redeemer. Let your importunate prayers ascend to God. If it be for Hisname’s glory, the soothing words will be spoken, “Be it unto thee according to thyword.”

We can never weary Christ by earnest supplications. We do not depend onGod as we should. Let us leave unsaid every word of complaint. Talk faith andcourage while waiting for God.... Be afraid to doubt, lest this become a habitthat will destroy faith. The dealing of the heavenly Father may seem dark andmysterious and unexplainable; nevertheless we are to trust in Him.

Oh, how precious is Jesus to the soul who trusts in Him! But many are walkingin darkness because they bury their faith in the shadow of Satan.... Never for amoment should we allow Satan to think that his power to distress and annoy isgreater than the power of Christ to uphold and strengthen....

Every sincere prayer that is offered is mingled with the efficacy of Christ’sblood. If the answer is deferred, it is because God desires us to show a holyboldness in claiming the pledged word of God. He is faithful who hath promised.He will never forsake the soul who is wholly surrendered to Him.[149]

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Our Personal Intercessor, June 8

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risenagain, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession

for us. Romans 8:34.

The Lord Jesus is your personal intercessor.... Repeat over and over manytimes through the day, “Jesus has died for me. He saw me in peril, exposed todestruction, and poured out His life to save me. He does not behold the soul as atrembling suppliant prostrate at His feet without pity, and He will not fail to raiseme up.” He has become the advocate for man. He has lifted up those who believein Him and placed a treasurehouse of blessing at their demand. Men cannot bestowone blessing upon their fellows, they cannot remove one stain of sin. It is only themerit and righteousness of Christ that will avail anything, but this is placed to ouraccount in rich fullness. We may draw upon God every moment. As we turn toHim, He answers, “Here I am.”

Christ proclaims Himself our Intercessor. He would have us know that He hasgraciously engaged to be our Substitute. He places His merit in the golden censerto offer up with the prayers of His saints, so that the prayers of His dear childrenmay be mingled with the fragrant merit of Christ as they ascend to the Father inthe cloud of incense.

The Father hears every prayer of His contrite children. The voice of supplica-tion from the earth unites with the voice of our Intercessor, who pleads in heaven,whose voice the Father always hears. Let our prayers therefore continually ascendto God. Let them not come up in the name of any human being, but in the nameof Him who is our Substitute and Surety. Christ has given us His name to use....

Jesus receives and welcomes you as His own friend. He loves you; Hehas pledged Himself to open before you all the treasures of His grace for yourappropriation. He says, “At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not untoyou, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, becauseye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God” (John 16:26, 27).He virtually says, Make use of My name, and it will be your passport to the heartof My Father, and to all the riches of His grace. [150]

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Angels In The Home, June 9

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a

stone. Psalm 91:11, 12.

Angels of God are watching over us. Upon this earth there are thousands andtens of thousands of heavenly messengers commissioned by the Father to preventSatan from obtaining any advantage over those who refuse to walk in the path ofevil. And these angels who guard God’s children on earth are in communicationwith the Father in heaven. “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones,”Christ said; “for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold theface of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

Scarcely any of us realize that angels are about us; and these precious angels,who minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, are saving from us many,many temptations and difficulties. The whole family of heaven is interested in thefamilies here below; and how thankful we should be for this interest manifestedfor us day and night.

Words spoken in our homes which are impatient and unkind, angels hear; anddo you want to find in the books of heaven a record of the impatient and passionatewords you have uttered in your family? Impatience brings the enemy of Godand man into your family and drives out the angels of God. If you are abiding inChrist, and Christ in you, you cannot speak angry words.

Fathers and mothers, I beseech you for Christ’s sake, to be kind, tender, andpatient in your homes. Then light and sunshine will enter your homes, and youwill feel that bright beams from the Sun of Righteousness are indeed shining intoyour hearts.

It is the absence of the graces of God’s Spirit that leaves the home in a dark,unhappy condition. Your home should be a blessed sanctuary where God cancome in, and where His holy angels can minister unto you. If impatience andunkindness are manifested one to another, angels cannot be attracted to your home;but where love and peace abide, these heavenly ones love to come and bring stillmore of the holy influence of the home above.[151]

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The Act Of Faith, June 10

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things notseen. Hebrews 11:1.

Faith is not the ground of our salvation, but it is the great blessing—the eye thatsees, the ear that hears, the feet that run, the hand that grasps. It is the means, notthe end. If Christ gave His life to save sinners, why shall I not take that blessing?My faith grasps it, and thus my faith is the substance of things hoped for, theevidence of things unseen. Thus resting and believing, I have peace with Godthrough the Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith, saving faith ... is the act of the soul by which the whole man is givenover to the guardianship and control of Jesus Christ. He abides in Christ andChrist abides in the soul by faith as supreme. The believer commits his soul andbody to God, and with assurance may say, Christ is able to keep that which I havecommitted unto Him against that day. All who will do this will be saved unto lifeeternal. There will be an assurance that the soul is washed in the blood of Christand clothed with His righteousness and precious in the sight of Jesus.

Remember that the exercise of faith is the one means of preserving it. Shouldyou sit always in one position, without moving, your muscles would becomestrengthless and your limbs would lose the power of motion. The same is true inregard to your religious experience. You must have faith in the promises of God....Faith will perfect itself in exercise and activity.

It is of the greatest importance to us that we surround the soul with the atmo-sphere of faith. Every day we are deciding our own eternal destiny in harmonywith the atmosphere that surrounds the soul. We are individually accountablefor the influence that we exert, and consequences that we do not see will resultfrom our words and actions. If God would have saved Sodom for the sake of tenrighteous persons, what would be the influence for good that might go out as theresult of the faithfulness of the people of God if every one who professed the nameof Christ were also clothed with His righteousness?

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A Working Faith, June 11

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of thelaw, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is

of God by faith. Philippians 3:9.[152]

It is one thing to read and teach the Bible, and another thing to have by practiceits life-giving, sanctifying principles engrafted on the soul.... “By grace are yesaved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). The mind should be educated to exercisefaith rather than to cherish doubt, suspicion, and jealousy. We are too prone toregard obstacles as impossibilities. To have faith in the promises of God, to goforward by faith, pressing on without being governed by circumstances, is a lessonhard to learn. Yet it is a positive necessity that every child of God should learnthis lesson. The grace of God through Christ is ever to be cherished, for it is givenus as the only way of approaching God....

The faith mentioned in God’s Word calls for a life in which faith in Christ isan active, living principle. It is God’s will that faith in Christ shall be made perfectby works; He connects the salvation and eternal life of those who believe, withthese works, and through them provides for the light of truth to go to all countriesand peoples. This is the fruit of the workings of God’s Spirit.

We show our faith in God by obeying His commands. Faith is always expressedin words and actions. It produces practical results, for it is a vital element in thelife. The life that is molded by faith develops a determination to advance, to goforward, following in the footsteps of Christ.

We have been taken as rough stones out of the quarry of the world by thecleaver of truth and placed in the workshop of God. He who has genuine faith inChrist as his personal Saviour will find that the truth accomplishes a definite workfor him. His faith is a working faith.... We cannot create our faith, but we can becolaborers with Christ in promoting the growth and triumph of faith.

The faith that works by love and purifies the soul produces the fruit of humility,patience, forbearance, long-suffering, peace, joy, and willing obedience.

174

Our Example In Obedience, June 12

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us,leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin,

neither was guile found in his mouth. 1 Peter 2:21, 22.

Before us is held out the wonderful possibility of being like Christ—obedientto all the principles of the law of God. But of ourselves we are utterly powerlessto attain to this condition. All that is good in man comes to him through Christ.The holiness that God’s Word declares we must have before we can be saved isthe result of the working of divine grace as we bow in submission to the discipline [153]and restraining influence of the Spirit of truth.

Man’s obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ’s righ-teousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of true obedience. The partof the Christian is to persevere in overcoming every fault. Constantly he is to prayto the Saviour to heal the disorders of his diseased soul. He has not the wisdomand strength without which he cannot overcome. They belong to the Lord, and Hebestows them on those who in humiliation and contrition seek Him for help.

The work of transformation from unholiness to holiness is a continuous work.Day by day God labors for man’s sanctification, and man is to cooperate with Himby putting forth persevering efforts in the cultivation of right habits....

God will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trustin Him. He desires us to remember that when we are humble and contrite, westand where He can and will manifest Himself to us. He is well pleased when weurge past mercies and blessings as a reason why He should bestow on us higherand greater blessings. He is honored when we love Him and bear testimony to thegenuineness of our love by keeping His commandments. He is honored when weset apart the seventh day as sacred and holy. To those who do this, the Sabbath isa sign, ... God declares, “that I am the Lord that sanctify them” (Ezekiel 20:12).Sanctification means habitual communion with God. There is nothing so greatand powerful as God’s love for those who are His children.

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The Highest Culture, June 13

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that gettethunderstanding. Proverbs 3:13.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the man who consents tobe molded and fashioned after the divine similitude is the noblest specimen of thework of God....

The experimental knowledge of true godliness, in daily consecration andservice to God, ensures the highest culture of the mind, soul, and body.... Theimpartation of divine power honors our sincere striving after wisdom for theconscientious use of our highest faculties to honor God and bless our fellow men.As these faculties are derived from God, and not self-created, they should beappreciated as talents from God to be employed in His service.

The Heaven-entrusted faculties of the mind are to be treated as the higherpowers, to rule the kingdom of the body. The natural appetites and passions are to[154]be brought under the control of the conscience and the spiritual affections....

The religion of Jesus Christ never degrades the receiver; it never makes himcoarse or rough, discourteous or self-important, passionate or hardhearted. Onthe contrary, it refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, purifies and ennobles thethoughts by bringing them into captivity to Jesus Christ.

God’s ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought canreach. The living God has given in His holy law a transcript of His character.The greatest Teacher the world has ever known is Jesus Christ. And what is thestandard He has given for all who believe in Him to reach? “Be ye thereforeperfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). AsGod is perfect in His high sphere of action, so man may be perfect in his humansphere. The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. There is opened beforeus a path of continual advancement. We have an object to reach, a standard to gainwhich includes everything good and pure and noble and elevated. There should becontinual striving and constant progress onward and upward toward perfection ofcharacter.

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Christ In All Our Thoughts, June 14

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way

everlasting. Psalm 139:23, 24.

Few realize that it is a duty to exercise control over the thoughts and imagina-tions. It is difficult to keep the undisciplined mind fixed upon profitable subjects.But if the thoughts are not properly employed, religion cannot flourish in the soul.The mind must be preoccupied with sacred and eternal things, or it will cherishtrifling and superficial thoughts. Both the intellectual and the moral powers mustbe disciplined, and they will . . improve by exercise.

In order to understand this matter aright, we must remember that our hearts arenaturally depraved, and we are unable of ourselves to pursue a right course. It isonly by the grace of God, combined with the most earnest effort on our part, thatwe can gain the victory. The intellect, as well as the heart, must be consecrated tothe service of God. He has claims upon all there is of us.

Few believe that humanity has sunk so low as it has or that it is so thoroughlybad, so desperately opposed to God, as it is.... When the mind is not under thedirect influence of the Spirit of God, Satan can mold it as he chooses. All the [155]rational powers which he controls he will carnalize. He is directly opposed to Godin his tastes, views, preferences, likes and dislikes, choice of things and pursuits;there is no relish for what God loves or approves, but a delight in those thingswhich He despises....

If Christ is abiding in the heart, He will be in all our thoughts. Our deepestthoughts will be of Him, His love, His purity. He will fill all the chambers of themind. Our affections will center about Jesus. All our hopes and expectations willbe associated with Him. To live the life we now live by faith in the Son of God,looking forward to and loving His appearing, will be the soul’s highest joy. Hewill be the crown of our rejoicing.

Those who have trained the mind to delight in spiritual exercises are the oneswho can be translated and not be overwhelmed with the purity and transcendentglory of heaven.

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The Gold Of Christian Character, June 15

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favourrather than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1.

Men may aspire to renown. They may desire to possess a great name. Withsome the possession of houses and lands and plenty of money, that which willmake them great according to the measure of the world, is the height of theirambition. They desire to reach the place where they can look down with a senseof superiority upon those who are poor. All such are building on the sand, andtheir house will fall suddenly. Superiority of position is not true greatness. Thatwhich does not increase the value of the soul is of no real value in itself. Thatwhich alone is worth obtaining is greatness of soul in the sight of Heaven. Thetrue and exalted nature of your work you may never know. The value of your ownbeing you can only measure by the value of that Life given to save all who willreceive it.

Every man will have some estimate of his own worth when he becomes alaborer together with Christ, doing the work that Christ did, filling the worldwith Christ’s righteousness, bearing a commission from the Most High.... Thecommission given to the disciples is given to all who are connected with Christ.They are to make any and every sacrifice for the joy of seeing souls saved who areperishing out of Christ....

The highest honor that can be conferred upon human beings, be they youngor old, rich or poor, is to be permitted to lift up the oppressed, to comfort thefeeble-minded. The world is full of suffering. Go, and preach the gospel to the[156]poor; heal the sick. This is the work to be connected with the gospel message.“The poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:5). Colaborers withGod are to fill the space they occupy in the world with the love of Jesus.... Thelove of Christ in the heart is expressed in the actions. If love for Christ is dull thelove for those for whom Christ died will degenerate....

True riches are genuine faith and genuine love. These make the charactercomplete in Christ. If there were more faith, simple, trusting faith in Jesus, therewould be love, pure love, which is the gold of Christian character.

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Kind And Courteous Words, June 16

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should knowhow to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning

by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. Isaiah 50:4.

What Christ was in His life on this earth, that every Christian is to be. Heis our example, not only in His spotless purity, but in His patience, gentleness,and winsomeness of disposition. He was firm as a rock where truth and dutywere concerned, but He was invariably kind and courteous. His life was a perfectillustration of true courtesy.... His presence brought a purer atmosphere into thehome, and His life was as leaven working amid the elements of society. Harmlessand undefiled, He walked among the thoughtless, the rude, the uncourteous; amidthe unjust publicans, the unrighteous Samaritans, the heathen soldiers, the roughpeasants, and the mixed multitude.

He spoke a word of sympathy here and a word there as He saw men weary andcompelled to bear heavy burdens. He shared their burdens and repeated to them thelessons He had learned from nature, of the love, the kindness, the goodness of God.He sought to inspire with hope the most rough and unpromising, setting beforethem the assurance that they might become blameless and harmless, attainingsuch a character as would make them manifest as children of God.... Jesus sat anhonored guest at the table of the publicans, by His sympathy and social kindlinessshowing that He recognized the dignity of humanity; and men longed to becomeworthy of His confidence. Upon their thirsty souls His words fell with blessed,life-giving power. New impulses were awakened, and the possibility of a new lifeopened to these outcasts of society.

The religion of Jesus softens whatever is hard and rough in the temper and [157]smooths off whatever is rugged and sharp in the manners. It is this religion thatmakes the words gentle and the demeanor winning. Let us learn from Christ howto combine a high sense of purity and integrity with sunniness of disposition. Akind, courteous Christian is the most powerful argument that can be produced infavor of the gospel.

179

The Test Of Appetite, June 17

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by anymeans, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1

Corinthians 9:27.

After His baptism the Son of God entered the dreary wilderness, there to betempted by the devil. For nearly six weeks He endured the agonies of hunger....He realized the power of appetite upon man; and in behalf of sinful man, He borethe closest test possible upon that point. Here a victory was gained which few canappreciate. The controlling power of depraved appetite and the grievous sin ofindulging it can only be understood by the length of the fast which our Saviourendured that He might break its power....

Intemperance lies at the foundation of all the moral evils known to man. Christbegan the work of redemption just where the ruin began. The fall of our firstparents was caused by the indulgence of appetite. In redemption, the denial ofappetite is the first work of Christ.

The Son of God saw that man could not of himself overcome this powerfultemptation.... He came to earth to unite His divine power with our human efforts,that through the strength and moral power which He imparts, we might overcomein our own behalf. Oh! what matchless condescension for the King of glory tocome down to this world to endure the pangs of hunger and the fierce temptationsof a wily foe, that He might gain an infinite victory for man. Here is love withouta parallel. Yet this great condescension is but dimly comprehended by those forwhom it was made.

It was not the gnawing pangs of hunger alone which made the sufferings ofour Redeemer so inexpressibly severe. It was the sense of guilt which had resultedfrom the indulgence of appetite that had brought such terrible woe into the world,which pressed so heavily upon His divine soul....

With man’s nature, and the terrible weight of his sins pressing upon Him, ourRedeemer withstood the power of Satan upon this great leading temptation, whichimperils the souls of men. If man should overcome this temptation, he couldconquer on every other point.[158]

180

Keeping Love Alive, June 18

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Colossians 3:18,

19.

How much trouble and what a tide of woe and unhappiness would be savedif men, and women also, would continue to cultivate the regard, attention, andkind words of appreciation and little courtesies of life which kept love alive andwhich they felt were necessary in gaining the companions of their choice. If thehusband and wife would only continue to cultivate these attentions which nourishlove, they would be happy in each other’s society and would have a sanctifyinginfluence upon their families. They would have in themselves a little world ofhappiness and would not desire to go outside this world for new attractions andnew objects of love....

Many women pine for words of love and kindness and the common attentionsand courtesies due them from their husbands who have selected them as their lifecompanions.... It is these little attentions and courtesies which make up the sumof life’s happiness....

If the hearts were kept tender in our families, if there were a noble, generousdeference to each other’s tastes and opinions, if the wife were seeking opportunitiesto express her love by actions in her courtesies to her husband, and the husbandwere manifesting the same consideration and kindly regard for the wife, thechildren would partake of the same spirit. The influence would pervade thehousehold, and what a tide of misery would be saved in the families! ...

Every couple who unite their life interest should seek to make the life ofeach as happy as possible. That which we prize we seek to preserve and makemore valuable if we can. In the marriage contract men and women have madea trade, an investment for life, and they should do their utmost to control theirwords of impatience and fretfulness, even more carefully than they did beforetheir marriage, for now their destinies are united for life as husband and wife, andeach is valued in exact proportion to the amount of painstaking effort put forth toretain and keep fresh the love so eagerly sought for and prized before marriage. [159]

181

The Voice Of Duty, June 19

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. Ecclesiastes 9:10.

The voice of duty is the voice of God—an inborn, heaven-sent guide. Whetherit be pleasing or unpleasing, we are to do the duty that lies directly in our pathway.If the Lord would have us bear a message to Nineveh, it will not be pleasing toHim for us to go to Joppa or Capernaum. God has reasons for sending us to theplace to which our feet are directed....

It is the little foxes that spoil the vines, the little neglects, the little deficiencies,the little dishonesties, the little departures from principle, that blind the soul andseparate it from God.

It is the little things of life that develop the spirit and determine the character.Those who neglect the little things will not be prepared to endure severe testswhen they are brought to bear upon them. Remember that the character building isnot finished till life ends. Every day a good or bad brick is placed in the structure.You are either building crookedly or with the exactness and correctness that willmake a beautiful temple for God. Therefore, in looking for great things to do,neglect not the little opportunities that come to you day by day. He who neglectsthe little things, and yet flatters himself that he is ready to do wonderful thingsfor the Master, is in danger of failing altogether, Life is made up, not of greatsacrifices and of wonderful achievements, but of little things.

Whatever your hands find to do, do it with your might. Make your workpleasant with songs of praise. If you would have a clean record in the books ofheaven, never fret or scold. Let your daily prayer be, “Lord, help me to do mybest.... Give me energy and cheerfulness. Help me to bring into my service theloving ministry of the Saviour.”

Look upon every duty, however humble, as sacred because it is part of God’sservice. Do not allow anything to make you forgetful of God. Bring Christ intoall that you do. Then your lives will be filled with brightness and thanksgiving.You will do your best, moving forward cheerfully in the service of the Lord, yourhearts filled with His joy.

182

Living For Others, June 20

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, andto give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28.

We are not to live for ourselves. Christ came to this world to live for others—not to be ministered unto, but to minister. If you strive to live as He lived you are [160]saying to the world, “Behold the Man of Calvary.” By precept and example youare leading others in the way of righteousness.

The sin which is indulged to the greatest extent, and which separates us fromGod and produces so many contagious spiritual disorders, is selfishness. Therecan be no returning to the Lord except by self-denial. Of ourselves we can donothing; but through God strengthening us we can live to do good to others, and inthis way shun the evil of selfishness. We need not go to heathen lands to manifestour desire to devote all to God in a useful, unselfish life. We should do this in thehome circle, in the church, among those with whom we associate and with whomwe do business. Right in the common walks of life is where self is to be deniedand kept in subordination.

Paul could say: “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). It is the daily dying toself in the little transactions of life that makes us overcomers. We should forgetself in the desire to do good to others. With many there is a decided lack of lovefor others. Instead of faithfully performing their duty, they seek rather their ownpleasure.

God positively enjoins upon all His followers a duty to bless others withtheir influence and means.... In doing for others, a sweet satisfaction will beexperienced, an inward peace which will be a sufficient reward. When actuatedby a high and noble desire to do others good, they will find true happiness in afaithful discharge of life’s manifold duties. This will bring more than an earthlyreward; for every faithful, unselfish performance of duty is noticed by the angelsand shines in the life record. In heaven none will think of self, nor seek their ownpleasure; but all, from pure, genuine love, will seek the happiness of the heavenlybeings around them. If we wish to enjoy heavenly society in the earth made new,we must be governed by heavenly principles here.

183

No One Free From Temptation, June 21

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to berevealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for aseason, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. 1

Peter 1:5, 6.

Do not think that the Christian life is free from temptation. Temptations willcome to every Christian. Both the Christian and the one who does not acceptChrist as his leader will have trials. The difference is that the latter is serving atyrant, doing his mean drudgery, while the Christian is serving the One who diedto give him eternal life. Do not look upon trial as something strange, but as the[161]means by which we are to be purified and strengthened. “Count it all joy when yefall into divers temptations,” James admonishes; “knowing this, that the trying ofyour faith worketh patience” (James 1:2, 3).

In the future life we shall understand things that here greatly perplex us. Weshall realize how strong a helper we had and how angels of God were commis-sioned to guard us as we followed the counsel of the Word of God.

To all who receive Him, Christ will give power to become the sons of God. Heis a present help in every time of need. Let us be ashamed of our wavering faith.Those who are overcome have only themselves to blame for their failure to resistthe enemy. All who choose can come to Christ and find the help they need.

There stands among you the mighty Counselor of the ages, inviting you toplace your confidence in Him. Shall we turn away from Him to uncertain humanbeings, who are as wholly dependent on God as we ourselves are? Have we fallenso far below our privileges? Have we not been guilty of expecting so little that wehave not asked for what God is longing to give?

“I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord,according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness towardthe house of Israel.... For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will notlie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel ofhis presence saved them” (Isaiah 63:7-9).

184

Strength For Today, June 22

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them assilver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my

name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say,The Lord is my God. Zechariah 13:9.

By trial the Lord proves the strength of His children. Is the heart strong tobear? Is the conscience void of offense? Does the Spirit bear witness with ourspirit that we are the children of God? This the Lord ascertains by trying us. In thefurnace of affliction He purifies us from all dross. He sends us trials, not to causeneedless pain, but to lead us to look to Him, to strengthen our endurance, to teachus that if we do not rebel, but put our trust in Him, we shall see of His salvation....

Christ’s love for His children is as strong as it is tender. It is a love strongerthan death, for He died for us. It is a love more true than that of a mother for her [162]children. The mother’s love may change, but Christ’s love is changeless. “I ampersuaded,” Paul says, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor anyother creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in ChristJesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38, 39).

In every trial we have strong consolation. Is not our Saviour touched with thefeeling of our infirmities? Has He not been tempted in all points like as we are?And has He not invited us to take every trial and perplexity to Him? Then let usnot make ourselves miserable over tomorrow’s burdens. Bravely and cheerfullycarry the burdens of today. Today’s trust and faith we must have. But we are notasked to live more than a day at a time. He who gives strength for today will givestrength for tomorrow....

Nothing wounds the soul like the sharp darts of unbelief. When trial comes, asit will, do not worry or complain. Silence in the soul makes more distinct the voiceof God. “Then are they glad because they be quiet” (Psalm 107:30). Rememberthat underneath you are the everlasting arms. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patientlyfor him” (Psalm 37:7). He is guiding you into a harbor of gracious experience.

185

Members Of God’s Household, June 23

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizenswith the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the

foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being thechief corner stone. Ephesians 2:19, 20.

The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibitionof His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazingthat Satan ... stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries anddelusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God ...look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, arethrough the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude,to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations andpleasures of heaven.

The Lord has provided His church with capabilities and blessings, that theymay present to the world an image of His own sufficiency, and that His churchmay be complete in Him, a continual representation of another, even the eternalworld, of laws that are higher than earthly laws. His church is to be a temple built[163]after the divine similitude....

To His church, Christ has given ample facilities, that He may receive a largerevenue of glory from His redeemed, purchased possession. The church, beingendowed with the righteousness of Christ, is His depository, in which the wealthof His mercy, His love, His grace, is to appear in full and final display. Thedeclaration in His intercessory prayer, that the Father’s love is as great toward usas toward Himself, the only-begotten Son, and that we shall be with Him whereHe is, forever one with Christ and the Father, is a marvel to the heavenly host,and it is their great joy. The gift of His Holy Spirit, rich, full, and abundant, is tobe to His church as an encompassing wall of fire, which the powers of hell shallnot prevail against. In their untainted purity and spotless perfection, Christ looksupon His people as the reward of all His suffering, His humiliation, and His love,and the supplement of His glory—Christ, the great center from which radiates allglory.

186

Remember Your High Calling, June 24

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance ofthese things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

2 Peter 1:12.

No matter how long we may have been traveling in the way of life eternal weneed often to recount the mercies of our heavenly Father toward us and gatherhope and courage from the promises of His Word....Peter realized the value ofconstant vigilance in the Christian life, and he felt impelled by the Holy Spirit tourge upon the believers the importance of exercising great carefulness in the dailylife....

“Always in remembrance.” Oh, if only we were to keep before our minds thosethings that pertain to our eternal welfare, we should not engage in any foolishnessor idle speaking! Our lifework is before us. It is for us to give diligence to makeour calling and election sure, by giving heed to the plain instruction contained inGod’s Holy Word....

There are many wrong things which we allow to pass by unnoticed, whenby our godly conversation we might set an example of rightdoing that would bea standing rebuke to the evildoers. We cannot afford by our example to seemto sanction wrongdoing. There is a heaven to win and a hell to shun. In largechurches of believers... there is special danger of lowering the standard. Wheremany are gathered together some are more liable to grow careless and indifferentthan they would be if isolated and made to stand alone. But even under adversecircumstances we may watch unto prayer and set an example in godly conversation [164]that will be a powerful testimony for the right.... We cannot afford to speak wordsthat would discourage our fellow pilgrims in the Christian pathway. Christ hasgiven His life in order that we might live with Him in glory. Throughout eternityHe will bear in His hands the prints of the cruel nails by which He was transfixedto the cross of Calvary....

We are now fitting up for the future, eternal life; and soon, if faithful, we shallsee the gates of the city of our God swing back on their glittering hinges that thenations who have kept the truth may enter in to their eternal inheritance.

187

Our Mission To The World, June 25

As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into theworld. John 17:18.

Will separation from the world, in obedience to the divine command, unfitus for the work the Lord has left us? Will it hinder us from doing good to thosearound us? No; the firmer hold we have on heaven, the greater will be our powerof usefulness. We should study the Pattern, that the spirit which dwelt in Christmay dwell in us. The Saviour was not found among the exalted and honorableof the world. He did not spend His time among those who were seeking theirease and pleasure. He worked to help those who needed help, to save the lost andperishing, to lift up the bowed down, to break the yoke of oppression from thosein bondage, to heal the afflicted, and to speak words of sympathy and consolationto the distressed and sorrowing. We are required to follow this example. The morewe partake of the spirit of Christ, the more we shall seek to do for our fellow men.We shall bless the needy and comfort the distressed....

Probation is about to close.... Soon the last prayer for sinners will have beenoffered, the last tear shed, the last warning given, the last entreaty made, and thesweet voice of mercy will be heard no more. This is why Satan is making suchmighty efforts to secure men and women in his snare.... The enemy is playingthe game of life for every soul. He is working to remove from us everything ofa spiritual nature, and in the place of the precious graces of Christ to crowd ourhearts with the evil traits of the carnal nature—hatred, evil surmising, jealousy,love of the world, love of self, love of pleasure, and the pride of life. We need tobe fortified against the incoming foe, ... for unless we are watchful and prayerfulthese evils will enter the heart and crowd out all that is good.

How great is the responsibility placed upon the disciple of Christ. Howimperative the duty to reflect the light of heaven upon a world enshrouded in[165]darkness. The deeper the surrounding gloom, the brighter should shine out thelight of Christian faith and Christian example.

188

The Most Powerful Argument, June 26

I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.... Therefore ye aremy witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Isaiah 43:11, 12.

Of His true followers the Lord says, “This people have I formed for myself;they shall shew forth my praise” (verse 21). They are My witnesses, My chosenrepresentatives, in an apostate world....

God calls for our cooperation. His requirements are just and reasonable....When we take the name of Christ we pledge ourselves to represent Him. Inorder for us to be true to our pledge, Christ must be formed within, the hope ofglory. The daily life must become more and more like the Christ life. We mustbe Christians in deed and in truth. Christ will have nothing to do with pretense.He will welcome to the heavenly courts those only whose Christianity is genuine.The lives of professed Christians who do not live the life of Christ are a mockeryto religion.

God does not ask us to purchase His favor by any costly sacrifice. He asksonly for the service of a humble, contrite heart, which has gladly and thankfullyaccepted His free gift. The one who receives Christ as his personal Saviour has inhis possession the salvation provided by Christ. And he is never to forget that ashe has freely received, so he is freely to impart.

Do you realize your value in the sight of God? He says, Ye are laborerstogether with Me. Are you letting your light shine in clear rays to a fallen world?Are you seeking to exercise every faculty and every power which God has givenyou? You may not be a minister, but you can be a witness. You may not be aneloquent speaker, but you can be eloquent in living Christ, you can be eloquent inletting your light shine before men.

A true, lovable Christian is the most powerful argument that can be advancedin favor of Bible truth. Such a man is Christ’s representative. His life is themost convincing evidence that can be borne to the power of divine grace. WhenGod’s people bring the righteousness of Christ into the daily life, sinners will beconverted and victories over the enemy will be gained. [166]

189

Our Obligations To The Poor, June 27

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave medrink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was

sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.Matthew 25:35, 36.

While the world needs sympathy, while it needs the prayers and assistance ofGod’s people, while it needs to see Christ in the lives of His followers, the peopleof God are equally in need of opportunities that draw out their sympathies, giveefficiency to their prayers, and develop in them a character like that of the divinepattern.

It is to provide these opportunities that God has placed among us the poor, theunfortunate, the sick, and the suffering. They are Christ’s legacy to His church,and they are to be cared for as He would care for them. In this way God takesaway the dross and purifies the gold, giving us that culture of heart and characterwhich we need.

The Lord could carry forward His work without our cooperation. He is notdependent on us for our money, our time, or our labor. But the church is veryprecious in His sight. It is the case which contains His jewels, the fold whichencloses His flock, and He longs to see it without spot or blemish or any suchthings. He yearns after it with unspeakable love. This is why He has given usopportunities to work for Him, and He accepts our labors as tokens of our loveand loyalty.

In placing among us the poor and the suffering, the Lord is testing us to revealto us what is in our hearts.... The culture of the mind and heart is more easilyaccomplished when we feel such tender sympathy for others that we bestow ourbenefits and privileges to relieve their necessities....

Good works cost us a sacrifice, but it is in this very sacrifice that they pro-vide discipline. These obligations bring us into conflict with natural feelingsand propensities, and in fulfilling them we gain victory after victory over theobjectionable traits of our characters.

The world will be convinced not so much by what the pulpit teaches as bywhat the church lives. The preacher announces the theory of the gospel, but thepractical piety of the church demonstrates its power.[167]

190

A Work Of Preparation, June 28

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work inyou will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6.

There is an earnest work of preparation to be done by Seventh-day Adventistsif they would stand firm in the trying experiences just before them. If they remaintrue to God in the confusion and temptation of the last days, they must seek theLord in humility of heart for wisdom to resist the deceptions of the enemy....

Ever are we to keep in mind the solemn thought of the Lord’s soon return, andin view of this to recognize the individual work to be done. Through the aid of theHoly Spirit we are to resist natural inclinations and tendencies to wrong, and weedout of the life every un-Christlike element. Thus we shall prepare our hearts forthe reception of God’s blessing, which will impart to us grace and bring us intoharmony with the faith of Jesus. For this work of preparation great advantageshave been granted to this people in light bestowed, in messages of warning andinstruction, sent through the agency of the Spirit of God.

Because of the increasing power of Satan’s temptations, the times in whichwe live are full of peril for the children of God, and we need to learn constantlyof the Great Teacher, that we may take every step in surety and righteousness.Wonderful scenes are opening before us, and at this time a living testimony is tobe borne in the lives of God’s professing people, so that the world may see thatin this age when evil reigns on every side, there is yet a people who are layingaside their will and are seeking to do God’s will—a people in whose hearts andlives the law of God is written. There are strong temptations before us, sharp tests.The commandment-keeping people of God are to prepare for this time of trial byobtaining a deeper experience in the things of God and a practical knowledge ofthe righteousness of Christ.... Not to unbelievers only, but to church members thewords are spoken, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon himwhile he is near” (Isaiah 55:6)....

Let your daily lives witness to the faith you profess. [168]

191

If Christ Should Come Today, June 29

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy toescape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son

of man. Luke 21:36.

Christ bids us watch, that we may be accounted worthy to escape the thingsthat are coming on the earth. It is of the greatest importance that we heed thiswarning. The enemy of all righteousness is on our track, seeking to lead us toforget God.

We should be filled with joy at the thought of Christ’s soon appearing. Tothose that love His appearing He will come without sin unto salvation. But if ourminds are filled with thoughts of earthly things, we cannot look forward with joyto His appearing.

“If I knew that Christ were coming in a few years,” one says, “I should livevery differently.” But if we believe that He is coming at all, we should live just asfaithfully as if we knew that He would appear in a few years. We cannot see theend from the beginning, but Christ has provided sufficient help for every day inthe year.

All we have to do with is this one day. Today we must be faithful to our trust.Today we must love God with all the heart and our neighbor as ourselves. Todaywe must resist the temptations of the enemy, and through the grace of Christ gainthe victory. Thus we shall watch and wait for Christ’s coming. Each day weshould live as if we knew that this would be our last day on this earth. If we knewthat Christ would come tomorrow, would we not crowd into today all the kindwords, all the unselfish deeds, that we could? We should be patient and gentle,and intensely in earnest, doing all in our power to win souls to Christ....

I urge you to turn your thoughts from worldly things and center them on thethings of eternity. Christ has placed everlasting life within your reach, and He haspromised to give you help in every time of need.... We should never rest satisfiedwith present attainments. If we put mind and heart into the work of reaching God’sideal for us, if we go to Christ, the mighty helper, for aid, He will give us the veryassistance that we need. He will bestow on us the very power that will enable usto be victorious in the struggle against evil.[169]

192

By The Tree Of Life, June 30

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and toopen the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by

thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.Revelation 5:9.

Do we expect to get to heaven at last and join the heavenly choir? Just as wego into the grave we will come up, as far as the character is concerned....Now isthe time for washing and ironing....

John saw the throne of God and around that throne a company, and he inquired,Who are these? The answer came, “These are they which ... have washed theirrobes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). Christleads them to the fountains of living waters, and there is the tree of life and thereis the precious Saviour. Here is presented to us a life that measures with the life ofGod. There is no pain, sorrow, sickness, or death there. All is peace and harmonyand love....

Now is the time to receive grace and strength and power to combine with ourhuman efforts that we can form characters for everlasting life. When we do thiswe will find that the angels of God will minister unto us, and we shall be heirs ofGod and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. And when the last trump shall sound, andthe dead shall be called from their prison house and changed in a moment, in thetwinkling of an eye, the crowns of immortal glory shall be placed upon the headsof the overcomers. The pearly gates will swing back for the nations that have keptthe truth and they will enter in. The conflict is ended.

“Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you fromthe foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). Do we want this benediction? I do,and I believe you do. May God help you that you may fight the battles of this lifeand gain a victory day by day and at last be among the number that shall cast theircrowns at Jesus’ feet and touch the golden harps and fill all heaven with sweetestmusic. I want you to love my Jesus....Do not reject my Saviour, for He has paidan infinite price for you. I see in Jesus matchless charms, and I want you to seethese charms.

193

July—Conflict and Courage

One Expensive Mistake, July 1

God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.Ecclesiastes 7:29.

[170]The book of Genesis gives quite a definite account of social and individual

life, and yet we have no record of an infant’s being born blind, deaf, crippled,deformed, or imbecile. There is not an instance upon record of a natural death ininfancy, childhood, or early manhood. There is no account of men and womendying of disease. Obituary notices in the book of Genesis run thus: “And all thedays that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.”“And allthe days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.” ...

God endowed man with so great vital force that he has withstood the accumu-lation of disease brought upon the race in consequence of perverted habits, andhas continued for six thousand years. This fact of itself is enough to evidence to usthe strength and electrical energy that God gave to man at his creation.... If Adam,at his creation, had not been endowed with twenty times as much vital force asmen now have, the race, with their present habits of living in violation of naturallaw, would have become extinct....

God did not create the race in its present feeble condition. This state of thingsis not the work of Providence, but the work of man; it has been brought about bywrong habits and abuses, by violating the laws that God has made to govern man’sexistence.

God created man for His own glory, that after test and trial the human familymight become one with the heavenly family, if they would show themselvesobedient to His every word.

To Eve it seemed a small thing to disobey God by tasting the fruit of theforbidden tree, and to tempt her husband also to transgress; but their sin openedthe floodgates of woe upon the world. Who can know, in the moment of temptation,the terrible consequences that will result from one wrong step?

196

Adam Home Again!, July 2

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But everyman in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are

Christ’s at his coming. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23.

Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder,the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints.... The dead shall hearthat voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with thetread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people....

All come forth from their graves the same in stature as when they entered thetomb. Adam, who stands among the risen throng, is of lofty height and majestic [171]form, in stature but little below the Son of God. He presents a marked contrast tothe people of later generations; in this one respect is shown the great degeneracyof the race. But all arise with the freshness and vigor of eternal youth....

All blemishes and deformities are left in the grave. Restored to the tree of lifein the long-lost Eden, the redeemed will “grow up” to the full stature of the racein its primeval glory....

As the ransomed ones are welcomed to the City of God, there rings out uponthe air an exultant cry of adoration. The two Adams are about to meet. The Sonof God is standing with outstretched arms to receive the father of our race—thebeing whom He created, who sinned against his Maker, and for whose sin themarks of the crucifixion are borne upon the Saviour’s form. As Adam discernsthe prints of the cruel nails, he does not fall upon the bosom of his Lord, but inhumiliation casts himself at His feet, crying: “Worthy, worthy is the Lamb thatwas slain!” Tenderly the Saviour lifts him up and bids him look once more uponthe Eden home from which he has so long been exiled....

This reunion is witnessed by the angels who wept at the fall of Adam andrejoiced when Jesus, after His resurrection, ascended to heaven, having openedthe grave for all who should believe on His name. Now they behold the work ofredemption accomplished, and they unite their voices in the song of praise.

197

An Open Door, July 3

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was notfound, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had

this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrews 11:5.

When we learn to walk by faith and not by feeling, we shall have help fromGod just when we need it, and His peace will come into our hearts. It was thissimple life of obedience and trust that Enoch lived. If we learn this lesson ofsimple trust, ours may be the testimony that he received, that he pleased God.

In every phase of your character building you are to please God. This youmay do; for Enoch pleased Him though living in a degenerate age. And there areEnochs in this our day.

For three hundred years Enoch had been seeking purity of heart, that he mightbe in harmony with heaven. For three centuries he had walked with God. Day byday he had longed for a closer union; nearer and nearer had grown the communion,until God took him to Himself. He had stood at the threshold of the eternal world,only a step between him and the land of the blest; and now the portals opened, the[172]walk with God, so long pursued on earth, continued, and he passed through thegates of the holy city,—the first from among men to enter there.

With the word of God in his hands, every human being, wherever his lot inlife may be cast, may have such companionship as he shall choose. In its pages hemay hold converse with the noblest and best of the human race, and may listento the voice of the Eternal as He speaks with men.... He may dwell in this worldin the atmosphere of heaven, imparting to earth’s sorrowing and tempted onesthoughts of hope and longings for holiness; ... like him of old who walked withGod, drawing nearer and nearer the threshold of the eternal world, until the portalsshall open, and he shall enter there. He will find himself no stranger. The voicesthat will greet him are the voices of the holy ones, who, unseen, were on earthhis companions—voices that here he learned to distinguish and to love. He whothrough the word of God has lived in fellowship with heaven, will find himself athome in heaven’s companionship.

198

Safe Inside, July 4

And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; forthee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Genesis 7:1.

Noah had faithfully followed the instructions which he had received from God.The ark was finished in every part as the Lord had directed, and was stored withfood for man and beast. And now the servant of God made his last solemn appealto the people. With an agony of desire that words cannot express, he entreatedthem to seek a refuge while it might be found. Again they rejected his words, andraised their voices in jest and scoffing. Suddenly a silence fell upon the mockingthrong. Beasts of every description, the fiercest as well as the most gentle, wereseen coming from mountain and forest and quietly making their way toward theark. A noise as of a rushing wind was heard, and lo, birds were flocking from alldirections, their numbers darkening the heavens, and in perfect order they passedto the ark. Animals obeyed the command of God, while men were disobedient.

When they saw the beasts come from the forests to the door of the ark, andNoah take them in, they had so long resisted, so long denied the message that Godhad given them, that ... conscience had become unimpressible.

Mercy had ceased its pleadings for the guilty race. The beasts of the field andthe birds of the air had entered the place of refuge. Noah and his household were [173]within the ark, “and the Lord shut him in.” ... The massive door, which it wasimpossible for those within to close, was slowly swung to its place by unseenhands. Noah was shut in, and the rejecters of God’s mercy were shut out. The sealof Heaven was on that door; God had shut it, and God alone could open it. Sowhen Christ shall cease His intercession for guilty men, before His coming in theclouds of heaven, the door of mercy will be shut. Then divine grace will no longerrestrain the wicked, and Satan will have full control of those who have rejectedmercy. They will endeavor to destroy God’s people; but as Noah was shut into theark, so the righteous will be shielded by divine power.

199

A Home God Can Bless, July 5

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household afterhim, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment.

Genesis 18:19.

In God’s sight, a man is just what he is in his family. The life of Abraham,the friend of God, was signalized by a strict regard for the word of the Lord. Hecultivated home religion. The fear of God pervaded his household. He was thepriest of his home. He looked upon his family as a sacred trust. His householdnumbered more than a thousand souls, and he directed them all, parents andchildren, to the divine Sovereign. He suffered no parental oppression on the onehand or filial disobedience on the other. By the combined influence of love andjustice, he ruled his household in the fear of God, and the Lord bore witness to hisfaithfulness.

He “will command ... his household.” There would be no sinful neglect torestrain the evil propensities of his children, no weak, unwise, indulgent favoritism,no yielding of his conviction of duty to the claims of mistaken affection. Abrahamwould not only give right instruction, but he would maintain the authority of justand righteous laws.

How few there are in our day who follow this example. On the part of toomany parents there is a blind and selfish sentimentalism, which is manifested inleaving children with their unformed judgment and undisciplined passions, to thecontrol of their own will. This is the worst cruelty to the youth and a great wrongto the world. Parental indulgence causes disorder in families and in society. Itconfirms in the young the desire to follow inclination, instead of submitting to thedivine requirements.

Parents and children alike belong to God to be ruled by Him. By affection andauthority combined, Abraham ruled his house. God’s word has given us rules forour guidance. These rules form the standard from which we cannot swerve if wewould keep the way of the Lord. God’s will must be paramount. The question[174]for us to ask is not: What have others done? What will my relatives think? or,What will they say of me if I pursue this course? but, What has God said? Neitherparent nor child can truly prosper in any course excepting in the way of the Lord.

200

How Can I Do It?, July 6

How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Genesis 39:9.

It is always a critical period in a young man’s life when he is separated fromhome influences and wise counsels and enters upon new scenes and trying tests.But if he does not of his own accord place himself in these positions of danger andremove himself from parental restraint; if, without will or choice of his own, he isplaced in dangerous positions and relies upon God for strength—cherishing thelove of God in his heart—he will be kept from yielding to temptation by the powerof God who placed him in that trying position. God will protect him from beingcorrupted by the fierce temptation. God was with Joseph in his new home. He wasin the path of duty, suffering wrong but not doing wrong. He therefore had thelove and protection of God for he carried his religious principle into everything heundertook.

Joseph’s faith and integrity were to be tested by fiery trials. His master’s wifeendeavored to entice the young man to transgress the law of God. Heretofore hehad remained untainted by the corruption teeming in that heathen land; but thistemptation, so sudden, so strong, so seductive—how should it be met? Josephknew well what would be the consequence of resistance. On the one hand wereconcealment, favor, and rewards; on the other, disgrace, imprisonment, perhapsdeath. His whole future life depended upon the decision of the moment. Wouldprinciple triumph? Would Joseph still be true to God? With inexpressible anxiety,angels looked upon the scene.

Joseph’s answer reveals the power of religious principle. He would not betraythe confidence of his master on earth, and, whatever the consequences, he wouldbe true to his Master in heaven. Under the inspecting eye of God and holy angelsmany take liberties of which they would not be guilty in the presence of theirfellow men, but Joseph’s first thought was of God. “How can I do this greatwickedness, and sin against God?” he said.

If we were to cherish an habitual impression that God sees and hears all thatwe do and say and keeps a faithful record of our words and actions, and that wemust meet it all, we would fear to sin. [175]

201

Power Guaranteed, July 7

As a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.Genesis 32:28.

Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining the birthright byfraud, God could not have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his life. Soin the time of trouble, if the people of God had unconfessed sins to appear beforethem while tortured with fear and anguish, they would be overwhelmed; despairwould cut off their faith, and they could not have confidence to plead with Godfor deliverance. But while they have a deep sense of their unworthiness, they willhave no concealed wrongs to reveal. Their sins will have been blotted out by theatoning blood of Christ, and they cannot bring them to remembrance....

All who endeavor to excuse or conceal their sins, and permit them to remainupon the books of heaven, unconfessed and unforgiven, will be overcome bySatan. The more exalted their profession, and the more honorable the positionwhich they hold, the more grievous is their course in the sight of God, and themore certain the triumph of the great adversary.

Yet Jacob’s history is an assurance that God will not cast off those who havebeen betrayed into sin, but who have returned unto Him with true repentance. Itwas by self-surrender and confiding faith that Jacob gained what he had failed togain by conflict in his own strength. God thus taught His servant that divine powerand grace alone could give him the blessing he craved. Thus it will be with thosewho live in the last days. As dangers surround them, and despair seizes upon thesoul, they must depend solely upon the merits of the atonement.... None will everperish while they do this....

Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined.... It is nowthat we are to learn this lesson of prevailing prayer, of unyielding faith. Thegreatest victories to the church of Christ or to the individual Christian are not thosethat are gained by talent or education, by wealth or the favor of men. They arethose victories that are gained in the audience chamber with God, when earnest,agonizing faith lays hold upon the mighty arm of power.[176]

202

Seeing The Invisible, July 8

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for heendured, as seeing him who is invisible. Hebrews 11:27.

Moses had a deep sense of the personal presence of God. He was not onlylooking down through the ages for Christ to be made manifest in the flesh, but hesaw Christ in a special manner accompanying the children of Israel in all theirtravels. God was real to him, ever present in his thoughts. When misunderstood,when called upon to face danger and to bear insult for Christ’s sake, he enduredwithout retaliation. Moses believed in God as one whom he needed and whowould help him because of his need. God was to him a present help.

Much of the faith which we see is merely nominal; the real, trusting, perse-vering faith is rare. Moses realized in his own experience the promise that Godwill be a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. He had respect unto therecompense of the reward. Here is another point in regard to faith which we wishto study; God will reward the man of faith and obedience. If this faith is broughtinto the life experience, it will enable everyone who fears and loves God to enduretrials. Moses was full of confidence in God because he had appropriating faith. Heneeded help, and he prayed for it, grasped it by faith, and wove into his experiencethe belief that God cared for him. He believed that God ruled his life in particular.He saw and acknowledged God in every detail of his life and felt that he was underthe eye of the All-seeing One, who weighs motives, who tries the heart. He lookedto God and trusted in Him for strength to carry him uncorrupted through everyform of temptation.... The presence of God was sufficient to carry him throughthe most trying situations in which a man could be placed.

Moses did not merely think of God; he saw Him. God was the constant visionbefore him; he never lost sight of His face. He saw Jesus as his Saviour, and hebelieved that the Saviour’s merits would be imputed to him. This faith was toMoses no guesswork; it was a reality. This is the kind of faith we need, faith thatwill endure the test. Oh, how often we yield to temptation because we do not keepour eye upon Jesus!

203

Cloud And Fire, July 9

He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.Psalm 105:39.

[177]“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the

way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light.” ... The standard of theirinvisible Leader was ever with them. By day the cloud directed their journeyingsor spread as a canopy above the host. It served as a protection from the burningheat, and by its coolness and moisture afforded grateful refreshment in the parched,thirsty desert. By night it became a pillar of fire, illuminating their encampmentand constantly assuring them of the divine presence.

In one of the most beautiful and comforting passages of Isaiah’s prophecy,reference is made to the pillar of cloud and of fire to represent God’s care for Hispeople in the great final struggle with the powers of evil: “The Lord will createupon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud andsmoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for above all the gloryshall be a covering. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytimefrom the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and fromrain” (Isaiah 4:5, 6, margin).

In the time of trial before us God’s pledge of security will be placed uponthose who have kept the word of His patience. Christ will say to His faithfulones: “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors aboutthee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast”(Isaiah 26:20). The Lion of Judah, so terrible to the rejectors of His grace, willbe the Lamb of God to the obedient and faithful. The pillar of cloud whichspeaks wrath and terror to the transgressor of God’s law is light and mercy anddeliverance to those who have kept His commandments. The arm strong to smitethe rebellious will be strong to deliver the loyal. Every faithful one will surely begathered. “He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shallgather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other”(Matthew 24:31).

204

Why Wait?, July 10

Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.Numbers 13:30.

It was Caleb’s faith in God that gave him courage; that ... enabled him to standboldly and unflinchingly in defense of the right. From the same exalted source,the mighty General of the armies of heaven, every true soldier of the cross ofChrist must receive strength and courage to overcome obstacles that often seeminsurmountable.... Those who would do their duty must be ever ready to speakthe words that God gives them, and not the words of doubt, discouragement, anddespair.... [178]

While the doubting ones talk of impossibilities, while they tremble at thethought of high walls and strong giants, let the faithful Calebs, who have “anotherspirit,” come to the front. The truth of God, which bringeth salvation, will go forthto the people if ministers and professed believers will not hedge up its way, as didthe unfaithful spies...

Human agencies are to be employed in this work. Zeal and energy must beintensified; talents that are rusting from inaction must be pressed into service. Thevoice that would say, “Wait; do not allow yourself to have burdens imposed uponyou,” is the voice of the cowardly spies. We want Calebs now who will press tothe front—chieftains in Israel who with courageous words will make a strongreport in favor of immediate action. When the selfish, ease-loving, panic-strickenpeople, fearing tall giants and inaccessible walls, clamor for retreat, let the voiceof the Calebs be heard, even though the cowardly ones stand with stones in theirhands, ready to beat them down for their faithful testimony.

It is when the unbelieving cast contempt upon the Word of God that the faithfulCalebs are called for. It is then that they will stand firm at the post of duty, withoutparade, and without swerving because of reproach. The unbelieving spies stoodready to destroy Caleb. He saw the stones in the hands of those who had broughta false report, but this did not deter him; he had a message, and he would bear it.The same spirit will be manifested today by those who are true to God.

205

The Only Way To Win, July 11

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shaltmeditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to

all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:8.

If men will walk in the path that God has marked out for them, they will havea counselor whose wisdom is far above any human wisdom. Joshua was a wisegeneral because God was his guide. The first sword that Joshua used was thesword of the Spirit, the Word of God....

It was because the strongest influences were to be brought to bear against hisprinciples of righteousness that the Lord in mercy charged him not to turn to theright hand or to the left. He was to follow a course of strictest integrity.... If therehad been no peril before Joshua, God would not over and over again have chargedhim to be of good courage. But amid all his cares, Joshua had his God to guideHim.

There is no greater deception than for man to suppose that in any difficulty hecan find a better guide than God, a wiser counselor in any emergency, a stronger[179]defense under any circumstance....

The Lord has a great work to be done in our world. To every man He hasgiven His work for man to do. But man is not to make man his guide, lest he beled astray; this is always unsafe. While Bible religion embodies the principles ofactivity in service, at the same time there is the necessity of asking for wisdomdaily from the Source of all wisdom. What was Joshua’s victory? Thou shaltmeditate upon the Word of God day and night. The word of the Lord came toJoshua just before he passed over Jordan.... This was the secret of Joshua’s victory.He made God his Guide.

Those holding the positions of counselors should be unselfish men, men offaith, men of prayer, men that will not dare to rely upon their own human wisdom,but will seek earnestly for light and intelligence as to what is the best mannerof conducting their business. Joshua, the commander of Israel, searched thebooks diligently in which Moses had faithfully chronicled the directions givenby God,—His requirements, reproofs, and restrictions,—lest he should moveunadvisedly.

206

Too Many Soldiers, July 12

And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too manyfor me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves

against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Judges 7:2.

It had been made a law in Israel that before they went to battle the followingproclamation should be made throughout the army: “What man is there that hathbuilt a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house,lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. And what man is he that hathplanted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return untohis house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it. And what man isthere that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return untohis house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.” And the officerswere to speak further to the people, saying, “What man is there that is fearful andfainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint aswell as his heart” (Deuteronomy 20:5-8).

Because his numbers were so few compared with those of the enemy, Gideonhad refrained from making the usual proclamation. He was filled with astonish-ment at the declaration that his army was too large. But the Lord saw the prideand unbelief existing in the hearts of His people. Aroused by the stirring appealsof Gideon, they had readily enlisted; but many were filled with fear when they [180]saw the multitudes of the Midianites. Yet, had Israel triumphed, those very oneswould have taken the glory to themselves instead of ascribing the victory to God.

Gideon obeyed the Lord’s direction, and with a heavy heart he saw twenty-twothousand, or more than two thirds of his entire force, depart for their homes.

The Lord is willing to do great things for us. We shall not gain the victorythrough numbers, but through the full surrender of the soul to Jesus. We are to goforward in His strength, trusting in the mighty God of Israel. There is a lesson forus in the story of Gideon’s army.... The Lord is just as willing to work throughhuman efforts now, and to accomplish great things through weak instrumentalities.

207

No Generation Gap, July 13

And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. 1 Samuel 3:1.

Young as he was when brought to minister in the tabernacle, Samuel had eventhen duties to perform in the service of God, according to his capacity. Thesewere at first very humble, and not always pleasant; but they were performed to thebest of his ability, and with a willing heart....

If children were taught to regard the humble round of everyday duties asthe course marked out for them by the Lord, as a school in which they were tobe trained to render faithful and efficient service, how much more pleasant andhonorable would their work appear. To perform every duty as unto the Lord,throws a charm around the humblest employment and links the workers on earthwith the holy beings who do God’s will in heaven.

The life of Samuel from early childhood had been a life of piety and devotion.He had been placed under the care of Eli in his youth, and the loveliness of hischaracter drew forth the warm affection of the aged priest. He was kind, generous,diligent, obedient, and respectful. The contrast between the course of the youthSamuel and that of the priest’s own sons was very marked, and Eli found rest andcomfort and blessing in the presence of his charge. It was a singular thing thatbetween Eli, the chief magistrate of the nation, and the simple child so warm afriendship should exist. Samuel was helpful and affectionate, and no father everloved his child more tenderly than did Eli this youth. As the infirmities of agecame upon Eli, he felt more keenly the disheartening, reckless, profligate courseof his own sons, and he turned to Samuel for comfort and support.

How touching to see youth and old age relying one upon the other, the youthlooking up to the aged for counsel and wisdom, the aged looking to the youth for[181]help and sympathy. This is as it should be. God would have the young possesssuch qualifications of character that they shall find delight in the friendship of theold, that they may be united in the endearing bonds of affection to those who areapproaching the borders of the grave.

208

Preparing To Lead, July 14

When there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, I wentout after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and whenhe arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew

him. 1 Samuel 17:34, 35, R.V.

David was growing in favor with God and man. He had been instructed inthe way of the Lord, and he now set his heart more fully to do the will of Godthan ever before. He had new themes for thought. He had been in the court of theking and had seen the responsibilities of royalty. He had discovered some of thetemptations that beset the soul of Saul and had penetrated some of the mysteriesin the character and dealings of Israel’s first king. He had seen the glory of royaltyshadowed with a dark cloud of sorrow, and he knew that the household of Saul, intheir private life, were far from happy. All these things served to bring troubledthoughts to him who had been anointed to be king over Israel. But while he wasabsorbed in deep meditation, and harassed by thoughts of anxiety, he turned tohis harp, and called forth strains that elevated his mind to the Author of everygood, and the dark clouds that seemed to shadow the horizon of the future weredispelled.

God was teaching David lessons of trust. As Moses was trained for his work,so the Lord was fitting the son of Jesse to become the guide of His chosen people.In his watchcare for his flocks, he was gaining an appreciation of the care that theGreat Shepherd has for the sheep of His pasture.

The lonely hills and the wild ravines where David wandered with his flockswere the lurking place of beasts of prey. Not infrequently the lion from the thicketsby the Jordan, or the bear from his lair among the hills, came, fierce with hunger,to attack the flocks. According to the custom of his time, David was armed onlywith his sling and shepherd’s staff; yet he early gave proof of his strength andcourage in protecting his charge....

His experience in these matters proved the heart of David and developed inhim courage and fortitude and faith. [182]

209

Satan’s Stealthy Work, July 15

For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organizationsand powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that

controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquartersof evil. Ephesians 6:12, Phillips.

The Bible has little to say in praise of men. Little space is given to recountingthe virtues of even the best men who have ever lived. This silence is not withoutpurpose; it is not without a lesson. All the good qualities that men possess are thegift of God; their good deeds are performed by the grace of God through Christ.Since they owe all to God the glory of whatever they are or do belongs to Himalone; they are but instruments in His hands. More than this—as all the lessons ofBible history teach—it is a perilous thing to praise or exalt men; for if one comesto lose sight of his entire dependence on God, and to trust to his own strength, heis sure to fall....

It is impossible for us in our own strength to maintain the conflict; and whateverdiverts the mind from God, whatever leads to self-exaltation or to self-dependence,is surely preparing the way for our overthrow. The tenor of the Bible is to inculcatedistrust of human power and to encourage trust in divine power.

It was the spirit of self-confidence and self-exaltation that prepared the wayfor David’s fall. Flattery and the subtle allurements of power and luxury werenot without effect upon him. Intercourse with surrounding nations also exertedan influence for evil. According to the customs prevailing among Eastern rulers,crimes not to be tolerated in subjects were uncondemned in the king; the monarchwas not under obligation to exercise the same self-restraint as the subject. All thistended to lessen David’s sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. And insteadof relying in humility upon the power of Jehovah, he began to trust to his ownwisdom and might.

As soon as Satan can separate the soul from God, the only Source of strength,he will seek to arouse the unholy desires of man’s carnal nature. The work ofthe enemy is not abrupt; it is not, at the outset, sudden and startling; it is a secretundermining of the strongholds of principle.[183]

210

A Late Awakening, July 16

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on thelabour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation

of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:11.

By his own bitter experience, Solomon learned the emptiness of a life thatseeks in earthly things its highest good. He erected altars to heathen gods, only tolearn how vain is their promise of rest to the spirit. Gloomy and soul-harassingthoughts troubled him night and day. For him there was no longer any joy of lifeor peace of mind, and the future was dark with despair.

Yet the Lord forsook him not. By messages of reproof and by severe judgments,He sought to arouse the king to a realization of the sinfulness of his course....At last the Lord, through a prophet, delivered to Solomon the startling message:... “I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I willrend it out of the hand of thy son.”

Awakened as from a dream by this sentence of judgment pronounced againsthim and his house, Solomon with quickened conscience began to see his folly inits true light. Chastened in spirit, with mind and body enfeebled, he turned weariedand thirsting from earth’s broken cisterns, to drink once more at the fountain oflife.... He could never hope to escape the blasting results of sin; he could never freehis mind from all remembrance of the self-indulgent course he had been pursuing;but he would endeavor earnestly to dissuade others from following after folly....

The true penitent does not put his past sins from his remembrance. He doesnot, as soon as he has obtained peace, grow unconcerned in regard to the mistakeshe has made. He thinks of those who have been led into evil by his course, andtries in every possible way to lead them back into the true path. The clearer thelight that he has entered into, the stronger is his desire to set the feet of others inthe right way.

211

A Voice In The Wilderness, July 17

And Elijah the Tishbite, ... said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth,before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but

according to my word. 1 Kings 17:1.[184]

Among the mountains of Gilead, east of the Jordan, there dwelt in the daysof Ahab a man of faith and prayer whose fearless ministry was destined to checkthe rapid spread of apostasy in Israel. Far removed from any city of renown, andoccupying no high station in life, Elijah the Tishbite nevertheless entered upon hismission confident in God’s purpose to prepare the way before him and to give himabundant success. The word of faith and power was upon his lips, and his wholelife was devoted to the work of reform. His was the voice of one crying in thewilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil. And while he came to thepeople as a reprover of sin, his message offered the balm of Gilead to the sin-sicksouls of all who desired to be healed....

To Elijah was entrusted the mission of delivering to Ahab Heaven’s messageof judgment. He did not seek to be the Lord’s messenger; the word of the Lordcame to him. And jealous for the honor of God’s cause, he did not hesitate to obeythe divine summons, though to obey seemed to invite swift destruction at the handof the wicked king....

It was only by the exercise of strong faith in the unfailing power of God’s wordthat Elijah delivered his message. Had he not possessed implicit confidence in theOne whom he served, he would never have appeared before Ahab. On his way toSamaria, Elijah had passed by ever-flowing streams, hills covered with verdure,and stately forests that seemed beyond the reach of drought. Everything on whichthe eye rested was clothed with beauty. The prophet might have wondered how thestreams that had never ceased their flow could become dry, or how those hills andvalleys could be burned with drought. But he gave no place to unbelief. He fullybelieved that God would humble apostate Israel, and that through judgments theywould be brought to repentance. The fiat of Heaven had gone forth; God’s wordcould not fail; and at the peril of his life Elijah fearlessly fulfilled his commission.

212

The Battle Song, July 18

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto theLord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before

the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. 2Chronicles 20:21.

It was a singular way of going to battle against the enemy’s army—praisingthe Lord with singing, and exalting the God of Israel. This was their battle song.They possessed the beauty of holiness. If more praising of God were engagedin now, hope and courage and faith would steadily increase. And would not thisstrengthen the hands of the valiant [185]

soldiers who today are standing in defense of truth?They praised God for the victory, and four days thereafter the army returned

to Jerusalem, laden with the spoils of their enemies, singing praise for the victorywon.

When we have a deeper appreciation of the mercy and loving-kindness of God,we shall praise Him, instead of complaining. We shall talk of the loving watchcareof the Lord, of the tender compassion of the Good Shepherd. The language ofthe heart will not be selfish murmuring and repining. Praise, like a clear, flowingstream, will come from God’s truly believing ones....

Why not awake the voice of spiritual song in the days of our pilgrimage? ...We need to study God’s Word, to meditate and pray. Then we shall have spiritualeyesight to discern the inner courts of the celestial temple. We shall catch thenotes of thanksgiving sung by the heavenly choir around the throne. When Zionshall arise and shine, her light will be most penetrating, and songs of praise andthanksgiving will be heard in the assembly of the saints. Little disappointmentsand difficulties will be lost sight of.

The Lord is our helper.... No one ever trusted God in vain. He never disappointsthose who put their dependence on Him. If we would only do the work that theLord would have us do, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, our hearts would becomesacred harps, every chord of which would send forth praise and thanksgiving tothe One sent by God to take away the sin of the world.

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All On The Altar, July 19

No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for thekingdom of God. Luke 9:62.

We are not all asked to serve as Elisha served, nor are we all bidden to selleverything we have; but God asks us to give His service the first place in ourlives, to allow no day to pass without doing something to advance His work in theearth. He does not expect from all the same kind of service. One may be calledto ministry in a foreign land; another may be asked to give of his means for thesupport of gospel work. God accepts the offering of each. It is the consecration ofthe life and all its interests, that is necessary. Those who make this consecrationwill hear and obey the call of Heaven....

It was no great work that was at first required of Elisha; commonplace dutiesstill constituted his discipline. He is spoken of as pouring water on the hands ofElijah, his master. He was willing to do anything that the Lord directed, and at[186]every step he learned lessons of humility and service.... Elisha’s life after unitingwith Elijah was not without temptations. Trials he had in abundance; but in everyemergency he relied on God. He was tempted to think of the home that he had left,but to this temptation he gave no heed. Having put his hand to the plow, he wasresolved not to turn back, and through test and trial he proved true to this trust....

As Elisha accompanied the prophet ... his faith and resolution were once moretested. At Gilgal, and again at Bethel and Jericho, he was invited by the prophetto turn back.... But ... he would not be diverted from his purpose.... “And ... Elijahsaid unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee.”

Elisha asked not for worldly honor, or for a high place among the great menof earth. That which he craved was a large measure of the Spirit that God hadbestowed so freely upon the one about to be honored with translation. He knewthat nothing but the Spirit which had rested upon Elijah, could fit him to fill theplace in Israel to which God had called him; and so he asked, “I pray thee, let adouble portion of thy Spirit be upon me.”

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Reluctant Prophet, July 20

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickednessis come up before me. Jonah 1:2.

Nineveh, wicked though it had become, was not wholly given over to evil. Hewho “beholdeth all the sons of men” (Psalm 33:13) ... perceived in that city manywho were reaching out after something better and higher.... God revealed Himselfto them in an unmistakable manner, to lead them, if possible, to repentance.

The instrument chosen for this work was the prophet Jonah.... Had the prophetobeyed unquestioningly, he would have been spared many bitter experiences,and would have been blessed abundantly. Yet in the hour of Jonah’s despair theLord did not desert him. Through a series of trials and strange providences, theprophet’s confidence in God and in His infinite power to save was to be revived....

Once more the servant of God was commissioned to warn Nineveh.... AsJonah entered the city, he began at once to “cry against” it the message, “Yet fortydays, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” From street to street he went, soundingthe note of warning.

The message was not in vain. The cry that rang through the streets of thegodless city was passed from lip to lip until all the inhabitants had heard thestartling announcement. The Spirit of God pressed the message home to every [187]heart and caused multitudes to tremble because of their sins and to repent in deephumiliation.... Their doom was averted, the God of Israel was exalted and honoredthroughout the heathen world, and His law was revered. Not until many yearslater was Nineveh to fall a prey to the surrounding nations through forgetfulnessof God and through boastful pride....

The lesson is for God’s messengers today, when the cities of the nations areas verily in need of a knowledge of the attributes and purposes of the true Godas were the Ninevites of old.... The only city that will endure is the city whosebuilder and maker is God.... The Lord Jesus is calling upon men to strive withsanctified ambition to secure the immortal inheritance.

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Jeremiah, God’s Mouthpiece, July 21

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation ofthe Lord. Lamentations 3:26.

Among those who had hoped for a permanent spiritual revival as the result ofthe reformation under Josiah was Jeremiah, called of God to the prophetic officewhile still a youth....

In the youthful Jeremiah, God saw one who would be true to his trust and whowould stand for the right against great opposition.... “Say not, I am a child,” theLord bade His chosen messenger; “for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee,and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: forI am with thee to deliver thee.” ...

For forty years Jeremiah was to stand before the nation as a witness for truthand righteousness. In a time of unparalleled apostasy he was to exemplify inlife and character the worship of the only true God. During the terrible sieges ofJerusalem he was to be the mouthpiece of Jehovah.

Naturally of a timid and shrinking disposition, Jeremiah longed for the peaceand quite of a life of retirement, where he need not witness the continued im-penitence of his beloved nation. His heart was wrung with anguish over the ruinwrought by sin....

The experiences through which Jeremiah passed in the days of his youth andalso in the later years of his ministry, taught him the lesson that “the way of manis not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” He learned topray, “O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bringme to nothing” (Jeremiah 10:23, 24).

When called to drink of the cup of tribulation and sorrow, and when temptedin his misery to say, “My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord,” he[188]recalled the providences of God in his behalf and triumphantly exclaimed, “It is ofthe Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not....The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

216

Faith And God’s Promises, July 22

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shalllive by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4.

At the time Josiah began to rule, and for many years before, the truehearted inJudah were questioning whether God’s promises to ancient Israel could ever befulfilled....

These anxious questionings were voiced by the prophet Habakkuk. Viewingthe situation of the faithful in his day, he expressed the burden of his heart inthe inquiry: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” ... Andthen, his faith reaching out beyond the forbidding prospect of the immediatefuture, and laying fast hold on the precious promises that reveal God’s love forHis trusting children, the prophet added, “We shall not die.” With this declarationof faith he rested his case, and that of every believing Israelite, in the hands of acompassionate God....

The faith that strengthened Habakkuk and all the holy and the just in thosedays of deep trial was the same faith that sustains God’s people today. In thedarkest hours, under circumstances the most forbidding, the Christian believermay keep his soul stayed upon the source of all light and power. Day by day,through faith in God, his hope and courage may be renewed. “The just shall liveby his faith.” ...

We must cherish and cultivate the faith of which prophets and apostles havetestified—the faith that lays hold on the promises of God and waits for deliverancein His appointed time and way. The sure word of prophecy will meet its finalfulfillment in the glorious advent of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as Kingof kings and Lord of lords.... With the prophet who endeavored to encourageJudah in a time of unparalleled apostasy, let us confidently declare, “The Lord isin his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” Let us ever hold inremembrance the cheering message, “The vision is yet for an appointed time, butat the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it willsurely come.” [189]

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Daniel, God’s Ambassador, July 23

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Danielconcerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault;

forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found inhim. Daniel 6:4.

Daniel, the prime minister of the greatest of earthly kingdoms, was at the sametime a prophet of God, receiving the light of heavenly inspiration. A man of likepassions as ourselves, the pen of inspiration describes him as without fault. Hisbusiness transactions, when subjected to the closest scrutiny of his enemies, werefound to be without one flaw. He was an example of what every businessman maybecome when his heart is converted and consecrated, and when his motives areright in the sight of God....

Unwavering in his allegiance to God, unyielding in his mastery of self, Daniel,by his noble dignity and unswerving integrity, while yet a young man, won the“favor and tender love” of the heathen officer in whose charge he had been placed....He rose speedily to the position of prime minister of the kingdom of Babylon.Through the reign of successive monarchs, the downfall of the nation, and theestablishment of another world empire, such were his wisdom and statesmanship,so perfect his tact, his courtesy, his genuine goodness of heart, his fidelity toprinciple, that even his enemies were forced to the confession that “they couldfind none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful.”

Honored by men with the responsibilities of state and with the secrets ofkingdoms bearing universal sway, Daniel was honored by God as His ambassador,and was given many revelations of the mysteries of ages to come. His wonderfulprophecies, as recorded by him in chapters 7 to 12 of the book bearing his name,were not fully understood even by the prophet himself; but before his life laborsclosed, he was given the blessed assurance that “at the end of the days”in theclosing period of this world’s history—he would again be permitted to stand inhis lot and place....

We may, like Daniel and his fellows, live for that which is true and noble andenduring. And learning in this life the principles of the kingdom of our Lordand Saviour, ... we may be prepared at His coming to enter with Him into itspossession.[190]

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Knowledge Requires Action, July 24

Ezra...was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israelhad given. Ezra 7:6.

More than two thousand years have passed since Ezra “prepared his heart toseek the law of the Lord, and to do it,” yet the lapse of time has not lessened theinfluence of his pious example. Through the centuries the record of his life ofconsecration has inspired many with the determination “to seek the law of theLord, and to do it.”

Ezra’s motives were high and holy; in all that he did he was actuated by a deeplove for souls. The compassion and tenderness that he revealed toward those whohad sinned, either willfully or through ignorance, should be an object lesson to allwho seek to bring about reforms....

There is no such thing as weakening or strengthening the law of Jehovah. Asit has been, so it is. It always has been, and always will be, holy, just, and good,complete in itself. It cannot be repealed or changed. To “honor” or “dishonor” itis but the speech of men....

Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world asan overwhelming surprise, and this preparation they should make by diligentlystudying the word of God and striving to conform their lives to its precepts. Thetremendous issues of eternity demand of us something besides an imaginaryreligion, a religion of words and forms, where truth is kept in the outer court....

If the saints of the Old Testament bore so bright a testimony of loyalty, shouldnot those upon whom is shining the accumulated light of centuries, bear a stillmore signal witness to the power of truth?

Shall we let the example of Ezra teach us the use we should make of our knowl-edge of the Scriptures? The life of this servant of God should be an inspiration tous to serve the Lord with heart and mind and strength. We each have an appointedwork to do, and this can be accomplished only by consecrated effort. We needfirst to set ourselves to know the requirements of God, and then to practice them.Then we can sow seeds of truth that will bear fruit unto eternal life.

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None Were Perfect, July 25

This priceless treasure we hold, so to speak, in a common earthenwarejar—to show that the splendid power of it belongs to God and not to us. 2

Corinthians 4:7, Phillips.[191]

All the disciples had serious faults when Jesus called them to His service.Even John, who came into closest association with the meek and lowly One, wasnot himself naturally meek and yielding. He and his brother were called “thesons of thunder.” While they were with Jesus, any slight shown to Him arousedtheir indignation and combativeness. Evil temper, revenge, the spirit of criticism,were all in the beloved disciple. He was proud, and ambitious to be first in thekingdom of God. But day by day, in contrast with his own violent spirit, he beheldthe tenderness and forbearance of Jesus, and heard His lessons of humility andpatience. He opened his heart to the divine influence, and became not only ahearer but a doer of the Saviour’s words. Self was hid in Christ. He learned towear the yoke of Christ and to bear His burden.

Jesus reproved His disciples, He warned and cautioned them; but John and hisbrethren did not leave Him; they chose Jesus, notwithstanding the reproofs. TheSaviour did not withdraw from them because of their weakness and errors. Theycontinued to the end to share His trials and to learn the lessons of His life. Bybeholding Christ, they became transformed in character....

As His representatives among men, Christ does not choose angels who havenever fallen, but human beings, men of like passions with those they seek to save....

Having been in peril themselves, they are acquainted with the dangers anddifficulties of the way, and for this reason are called to reach out for others in likeperil. There are souls perplexed with doubt, burdened with infirmities, weak infaith, and unable to grasp the Unseen; but a friend whom they can see, comingto them in Christ’s stead, can be a connecting link to fasten their trembling faithupon Christ.

We are to be laborers together with the heavenly angels in presenting Jesus tothe world.

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It Has To Be Personal, July 26

If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. Matthew 9:21.

It was a poor woman who spoke these words—a woman who for twelve yearshad suffered from a disease that made her life a burden. She had spent all hermeans upon physicians and remedies, only to be pronounced incurable. But asshe heard of the Great Healer, her hopes revived.... Again and again she had triedin vain to get near Him.

She had begun to despair, when, in making His way through the multitude, Hecame near where she was.... But amid the confusion she could not speak to Him,nor catch more than a passing glimpse of His figure.... As He was passing, she [192]reached forward, and succeeded in barely touching the border of His garment. Butin that moment she knew that she was healed. In that one touch was concentratedthe faith of her life, and instantly her pain and feebleness gave place to the vigorof perfect health.

With a grateful heart she then tried to withdraw from the crowd; but suddenlyJesus stopped.... The Saviour could distinguish the touch of faith from the casualcontact of the careless throng. Such trust should not be passed without comment....Finding concealment vain, she came forward tremblingly, and cast herself at Hisfeet. With grateful tears she told the story of her suffering, and how she had foundrelief. Jesus gently said, “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made theewhole; go in peace.” He gave no opportunity for superstition to claim healingvirtue for the mere act of touching His garments. It was not through the outwardcontact with Him, but through the faith which took hold on His divine power, thatthe cure was wrought....

So in spiritual things. To talk of religion in a casual way, to pray withoutsoul hunger and living faith, avails nothing. A nominal faith in Christ, whichaccepts Him merely as the Saviour of the world, can never bring healing to thesoul.... It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him. The onlyfaith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour; whichappropriates His merits to ourselves.

221

Nothing Too Costly, July 27

For the love of Christ constraineth us. 2 Corinthians 5:14.

Christ delighted in the earnest desire of Mary to do the will of her Lord. Heaccepted the wealth of pure affection which His disciples did not, would not,understand. The desire that Mary had to do this service for her Lord was of morevalue to Christ than all the precious ointment in the world, because it expressed herappreciation of the world’s Redeemer. It was the love of Christ that constrainedher. The matchless excellence of the character of Christ filled her soul. Thatointment was a symbol of the heart of the giver. It was the outward demonstrationof a love fed by heavenly streams until it overflowed.

The work of Mary was just the lesson the disciples needed to show them thatthe expression of their love for Him would be pleasing to Christ. He had beeneverything to them, and they did not realize that soon they would be deprived ofHis presence, that soon they could offer Him no token of their gratitude for Hisgreat love. The loneliness of Christ, separated from the heavenly courts, living the[193]life of humanity, was never understood or appreciated by the disciples as it shouldhave been....

Their afterknowledge gave them a true sense of the many things they mighthave done for Jesus expressive of the love and gratitude of their hearts.... WhenJesus was no longer with them, ... they began to see how they might have shownHim attentions that would have brought gladness to His heart. They no longer castblame upon Mary, but upon themselves. Oh, if they could have taken back theircensuring, their presenting the poor as more worthy of the gift than was Christ!They felt the reproof keenly as they took from the cross the bruised body of theirLord.

The same want is evident in our world today. But few appreciate all thatChrist is to them. If they did, the great love of Mary would be expressed, theanointing would be freely bestowed. The expensive ointment would not be calleda waste. Nothing would be thought too costly to give for Christ, no self-denial orself-sacrifice too great to be endured for His sake.

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Just For One Man, July 28

And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go towardthe south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which

is desert. And he arose and went. Acts 8:26, 27.

Notice how much effort was put forth for just one man, an Ethiopian.This Ethiopian was a man of good standing and of wide influence. God saw

that when converted he would give others the light he had received and wouldexert a strong influence in favor of the gospel. Angels of God were attending thisseeker for light, and he was being drawn to the Saviour. By the ministration of theHoly Spirit the Lord brought him into touch with one who could lead him to thelight.

Philip was directed to go to the Ethiopian and explain to him the prophecythat he was reading. “Go near,” the Spirit said, “and join thyself to this chariot.” ...The man’s heart thrilled with interest as the Scriptures were explained to him; andwhen the disciple had finished, he was ready to accept the light given. He did notmake his high worldly position an excuse for refusing the gospel....

This Ethiopian represented a large class who need to be taught by such mis-sionaries as Philip—men who will hear the voice of God and go where He sendsthem. There are many who are reading the Scriptures who cannot understandtheir true import. All over the world men and women are looking wistfully toheaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries go up from souls longing for light, for [194]grace, for the Holy Spirit. Many are on the verge of the kingdom, waiting only tobe gathered in.

An angel guided Philip to the one who was seeking for light and who wasready to receive the gospel, and today angels will guide the footsteps of thoseworkers who will allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify their tongues and refine andennoble their hearts.

He who sent Philip to the Ethiopian councilor, Peter to the Roman centurion,and the little Israelitish maiden to the help of Naaman, the Syrian captain, sendsmen and women and youth today as His representatives to those in need of divinehelp and guidance.

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Saul To Paul, July 29

And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told

thee what thou must do. Acts 9:6.

In the wonderful conversion of Paul we see the miraculous power of God....Jesus, whose name of all others he most hated and despised, revealed Himself toPaul for the purpose of arresting his mad yet honest career, that He might make thismost unpromising instrument a chosen vessel to bear the gospel to the Gentiles....The light of heavenly illumination had taken away Paul’s eyesight; but Jesus, theGreat Healer of the blind, does not restore it. He answers the question of Paul inthese words: “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou mustdo.” Jesus could not only have healed Paul of his blindness, but He could haveforgiven his sins and told him his duty by marking out his future course. FromChrist all power and mercies were to flow; but He did not give Paul an experience,in his conversion to truth, independent of His church recently organized upon theearth.

The marvelous light given Paul upon that occasion astonished and confoundedhim. He was wholly subdued. This part of the work man could not do for Paul,but there was a work still to be accomplished which the servants of Christ coulddo. Jesus directs him to His agents in the church for a further knowledge of duty.Thus He gives authority and sanction to His organized church. Christ had donethe work of revelation and conviction, and now Paul was in a condition to learn ofthose whom God had ordained to teach the truth. Christ directs Paul to His chosenservants, thus placing him in connection with His church. The very men whomPaul was purposing to destroy were to be his instructors in the very religion thathe had despised and persecuted....

An angel is sent to Ananias, directing him to go to a certain house where Saul[195]is praying to be instructed in what he is to do next.... In Christ’s stead Ananiastouches his eyes that they may receive sight; in Christ’s stead he lays his handsupon him, prays in Christ’s name, and Saul receives the Holy Ghost.

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Toward The Mark, July 30

This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reachingforth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the

prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13, 14.

Paul did many things. He was a wise teacher. His many letters are full ofinstructive lessons setting forth correct principles. He worked with his hands, forhe was a tent-maker, and in this way earned his daily bread.... He carried a heavyburden for the churches. He strove most earnestly to present their errors beforethem, that they might correct them, and not be deceived and led away from God.He was always seeking to help them in their difficulties; and yet he declares, “Onething I do.” ... The responsibilities of his life were many, yet he kept always beforehim this “one thing.” The constant sense of the presence of God constrained himto keep his eye ever looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of his faith.

The great purpose that constrained Paul to press forward in the face of hardshipand difficulty should lead every Christian worker to consecrate himself wholly toGod’s service. Worldly attractions will be presented to draw his attention from theSaviour, but he is to press on toward the goal, showing to the world, to angels, andto men that the hope of seeing the face of God is worth all the effort and sacrificethat the attainment of this hope demands.

The lowliest disciple of Christ may become an inhabitant of heaven, an heir ofGod to an inheritance incorruptible, and that fadeth not away. O that every onemight make choice of the heavenly gift, become an heir of God to that inheritancewhose title is secure from any destroyer, world without end! O, choose not theworld, but choose the better inheritance! Press, urge your way toward the markfor the prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus.

Soon we shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose lives havebeen hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight offaith, will shine forth with the Redeemer’s glory in the kingdom of God. [196]

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Hitherto Hath The Lord Helped Us, July 31

O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deedsamong the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his

wondrous works. Psalm 105:1, 2.

The dealings of God with His people should be often repeated. How frequentlywere the waymarks set up by the Lord in His dealings with ancient Israel! Lestthey should forget the history of the past, He commanded Moses to frame theseevents into song, that parents might teach them to their children. They were togather up memorials and to lay them up in sight. Special pains were taken topreserve them, that when the children should inquire concerning these things, thewhole story might be repeated. Thus the providential dealings and the markedgoodness and mercy of God in His care and deliverance of His people were keptin mind. We are exhorted to “call to remembrance the former days, in which, afterye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions” (Hebrews 10:32). ForHis people in this generation the Lord has wrought as a wonder-working God....We need often to recount God’s goodness and to praise Him for His wonderfulworks.

Let us not cast away our confidence, but have firm assurance, firmer thanever before. “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us,” and He will help us to the end(1 Samuel 7:12). Let us look to the monumental pillars, reminders of what theLord has done to comfort us and to save us from the hand of the destroyer. Letus keep fresh in our memory all the tender mercies that God has shown us—thetears He has wiped away, the pains He has soothed, the anxieties removed, thefears dispelled, the wants supplied, the blessings bestowed—thus strengtheningourselves for all that is before us through the remainder of our pilgrimage.

We cannot but look forward to new perplexities in the coming conflict, but wemay look on what is past as well as on what is to come, and say, “Hitherto hath theLord helped us.”“As thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25). Thetrial will not exceed the strength that shall be given us to bear it. Then let us takeup our work just where we find it, believing that whatever may come, strengthproportionate to the trial will be given.[197]

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August—God’s Amazing Grace

God’s Kingdom In The Heart, August 1

Behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21.

The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive; onevery hand were crying abuses—extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yetthe Saviour attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, norcondemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority oradministration of those in power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthlygovernments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because theremedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, thecure must reach men individually, and must regenerate the heart.

Some of the Pharisees had come to Jesus demanding “when the kingdom ofGod should come” (Luke 17:20). More than three years had passed since John theBaptist gave the message that like a trumpet call had sounded through the land,“The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). And as yet these Phariseessaw no indication of the establishment of the kingdom....

Jesus answered, “The kingdom of God cometh not with outward show [mar-gin]: neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of Godis within you.” The kingdom of God begins at the heart. Look not here or therefor manifestations of earthly power to mark its coming.

The works of Christ not only declared Him to be the Messiah, but showed inwhat manner His kingdom was to be established.... It comes through the gentlenessof the inspiration of His word, through the inward working of His Spirit, thefellowship of the soul with Him who is its life. The greatest manifestation ofits power is seen in human nature brought to the perfection of the character ofChrist....

When God gave His Son to our world, He endowed human beings withimperishable riches—riches compared with which the treasured wealth of mensince the world began is nothingness. Christ came to the earth and stood beforethe children of men with the hoarded love of eternity, and this is the treasure that,through our connection with Him, we are to receive, to reveal, and to impart.[198]

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Like Yeast, August 2

The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid inthree measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Matthew 13:33.

In the Saviour’s parable, leaven is used to represent the kingdom of heaven. Itillustrates the quickening, assimilating power of the grace of God....

The grace of God must be received by the sinner before he can be fitted forthe kingdom of glory. All the culture and education which the world can give willfail of making a degraded child of sin a child of heaven. The renewing energymust come from God.... As the leaven, when mingled with the meal, works fromwithin outward, so it is by the renewing of the heart that the grace of God worksto transform the life....

The leaven hidden in the flour works invisibly to bring the whole mass underits leavening process; so the leaven of truth works secretly, silently, steadily, totransform the soul. The natural inclinations are softened and subdued. Newthoughts, new feelings, new motives, are implanted. A new standard of characteris set up—the life of Christ. The mind is changed; the faculties are roused toaction in new lines.... The conscience is awakened....

The heart of him who receives the grace of God overflows with love for Godand for those for whom Christ died. Self is not struggling for recognition.... He iskind and thoughtful, humble in his opinion of himself, yet full of hope, alwaystrusting in the mercy and love of God....

The grace of Christ is to control the temper and the voice. Its working willbe seen in politeness and tender regard shown by brother for brother, in kind,encouraging words. An angel presence is in the home. The life breathes a sweetperfume, which ascends to God as holy incense. Love is manifested in kindness,gentleness, forbearance, and long-suffering. The countenance is changed. Christabiding in the heart shines out in the faces of those who love Him and keep Hiscommandments.... As these changes are effected, angels break forth in rapturoussong, and God and Christ rejoice over souls fashioned after the divine similitude. [199]

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The Royal Robe, August 3

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean andwhite: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. Revelation 19:8.

The parable of the wedding garment [Matthew 22:1-14] opens before us alesson of the highest consequence.... By the wedding garment in the parableis represented the pure, spotless character which Christ’s true followers willpossess.... The fine linen, says the Scripture, “is the righteousness of saints.” It isthe righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith isimparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour.

The white robe of innocence was worn by our first parents when they wereplaced by God in holy Eden. They lived in perfect conformity to the will of God....A beautiful soft light, the light of God, enshrouded the holy pair.... But when sinentered, they severed their connection with God, and the light that had encircledthem departed. Naked and ashamed, they tried to supply the place of the heavenlygarments by sewing together fig leaves for a covering.

We cannot provide a robe of righteousness for ourselves, for the prophet says,“All our righteousness are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). There is nothing in us fromwhich we can clothe the soul so that its nakedness shall not appear. We are toreceive the robe of righteousness woven in the loom of heaven, even the spotlessrobe of Christ’s righteousness.

God has made ample provision that we may stand perfect in His grace, wantingin nothing, waiting for the appearing of our Lord. Are you ready? Have you thewedding garment on? That garment will never cover deceit, impurity, corruption,or hypocrisy. The eye of God is upon you. It is a discerner of the thoughts andintents of the heart. We may conceal our sins from the eyes of men, but we canhide nothing from our Maker.

Let the youth and the little children be taught to choose for themselves thatroyal robe woven in heaven’s loom—the “fine linen, clean and white,” which allthe holy ones of earth will wear. This robe, Christ’s own spotless character, isfreely offered to every human being. But all who receive it will receive and wearit here.[200]

230

God With Us, August 4

They shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God withus. Matthew 1:23.

From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; Hewas “the image of God,” the image of His greatness and majesty, “the outshiningof his glory.” It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world. To thissin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God’s love—to be “God withus.”...

Our little world is the lesson book of the universe. God’s wonderful purposeof grace, the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which “angels desire tolook”, and it will be their study throughout endless ages. Both the redeemed andthe unfallen beings will find in the cross of Christ their science and their song. Itwill be seen that the glory shining in the face of Jesus is the glory of self-sacrificinglove. In the light from Calvary it will be seen that the law of self-renouncing loveis the law of life for earth and heaven; that the love which “seeketh not her own”has its source in the heart of God....

Jesus might have remained at the Father’s side. He might have retained theglory of heaven, and the homage of the angels. But He chose to give back thescepter into the Father’s hands, and to step down from the throne of the universe,that He might bring light to the benighted, and life to the perishing....

This great purpose had been shadowed forth in types and symbols. The burningbush, in which Christ appeared to Moses, revealed God.... The all-merciful Godshrouded His glory in a most humble type, that Moses could look upon it and live.So in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, God communicatedwith Israel, revealing to men His will, and imparting to them His grace. God’sglory was subdued, and His majesty veiled, that the weak vision of finite men mightbehold it. So Christ was to come in “the body of our humiliation” (Philippians 3:21,R.V.), “in the likeness of men.”... His glory was veiled, His greatness and majestywere hidden, that He might draw near to sorrowful, tempted men.

231

Adopted Sons And Daughters, August 5

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ tohimself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise

[201]of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.Ephesians 1:5, 6.

Before the foundations of the earth were laid the covenant was made that allwho were obedient, all who should through the abundant grace provided becomeholy in character and without blame before God by appropriating that grace, shouldbe children of God.

We owe everything to grace, free grace, sovereign grace. Grace in the covenantordained our adoption. Grace in the Saviour effected our redemption, our regener-ation, and our adoption to heirship with Christ.

As we fully believe that we are His by adoption, we may have a foretaste ofheaven.... We have a nearness to Him, and can hold sweet communion with Him.We obtain distinct views of His tenderness and compassion, and our hearts arebroken and melted with contemplation of the love that is given to us. We feelindeed an abiding Christ in the soul. We abide in Him, and feel at home withJesus.... We have a realizing sense of the love of God, and we rest in His love. Nolanguage can describe it, it is beyond knowledge. We are one with Christ, our lifeis hid with Christ in God. We have the assurance that when He who is our lifeshall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. With strong confidencewe can call God our Father.

All who have been born into the heavenly family are in a special sense thebrethren of our Lord. The love of Christ binds together the members of His family,and wherever that love is manifest there the divine relationship is revealed....

Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was toimplant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory becameone with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled, “Love one another, as Ihave loved you” (John 15:12); when we love the world as He has loved it, then forus His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven inour hearts.

232

Blessings Through Obedience, August 6

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.Psalm 40:8.

What a God is our God! He rules over His kingdom with diligence andcare, and He has built a hedge—the Ten Commandments—about His subjects topreserve them from the results of transgression. In requiring obedience to the lawsof His kingdom, God gives His people health and happiness, peace and joy. He [202]teaches them that the perfection of character He requires can be attained only bybecoming familiar with His Word.

The true seeker, who is striving to be like Jesus in word, life, and character, willcontemplate his Redeemer and, by beholding, become changed into His image,because he longs and prays for the same disposition and mind that was in ChristJesus.... He longs after God. The history of his Redeemer, the immeasurablesacrifice that He made, becomes full of meaning to him. Christ, the Majesty ofheaven, became poor, that we through His poverty might become rich; not richmerely in endowments, but rich in attainments.

These are the riches that Christ earnestly longs that His followers shall possess.As the true seeker after the truth reads the Word and opens his mind to receive theWord, he longs after truth with his whole heart. The love, the pity, the tenderness,the courtesy, the Christian politeness, which will be the elements in the heavenlymansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those that love Him, take possessionof his soul. His purpose is steadfast. He is determined to stand on the side ofrighteousness. Truth has found its way into the heart, and is planted there by theHoly Spirit, who is the truth. When truth takes hold of the heart, the man givessure evidence of this by becoming a steward of the grace of Christ.

Each steward has his own special work to do for the advancement of God’skingdom.... The talents of speech, memory, influence, property, are to accumulatefor the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom. He will bless the rightuse of His gifts.

233

In The Most Holy Place, August 7

The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.Habakkuk 2:20.

I saw a throne, and on it sat the Father and the Son. I gazed on Jesus’ counte-nance and admired His lovely person. The Father’s person I could not behold, fora cloud of glorious light covered Him. I asked Jesus if His Father had a form likeHimself. He said He had, but I could not behold it, for said He, “If you shouldonce behold the glory of His person, you would cease to exist.” ...

I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the holyof holies within the veil, and sit down.... Then a cloudy chariot, with wheels likeflaming fire, surrounded by angels, came to where Jesus was. He stepped into thechariot and was borne to the holiest, where the Father sat. There I beheld Jesus, agreat High Priest, standing before the Father.[203]

Two lovely cherubs, one on each side of the ark, stood with their wingsoutstretched above it, and touching each other above the head of Jesus as He stoodbefore the mercy seat. Their faces were turned toward each other, and they lookeddownward to the ark, representing all the angelic host looking with interest at thelaw of God. Between the cherubim was a golden censer, and as the prayers of thesaints, offered in faith, came up to Jesus, and He presented them to His Father, acloud of fragrance arose from the incense, looking like smoke of most beautifulcolors. Above the place where Jesus stood, before the ark, was exceedingly brightglory that I could not look upon; it appeared like the throne of God.

Our crucified Lord is pleading for us in the presence of the Father at the throneof grace. His atoning sacrifice we may plead for our pardon, our justification, andour sanctification. The lamb slain is our only hope. Our faith looks up to Him,grasps Him as the One who can save to the uttermost, and the fragrance of theall-sufficient offering is accepted of the Father.... Christ’s glory is concerned inour success. He has a common interest in all humanity. He is our sympathizingSaviour.

234

Source Of Compassion And Mercy, August 8

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is aright sceptre. Psalm 45:6.

Though now He has ascended to the presence of God, and shares the throne ofthe universe, Jesus has lost none of His compassionate nature. Today, the sametender, sympathizing heart is open to all the woes of humanity. Today the handthat was pierced is reached forth to bless more abundantly His people that are inthe world....

Through all our trials we have a never-failing Helper. He does not leave usalone to struggle with temptation, to battle with evil, and be finally crushed withburdens and sorrow. Though now He is hidden from mortal sight, the ear of faithcan hear His voice saying, Fear not; I am with you. “I am he that liveth, and wasdead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:18).

Those who put away iniquity from their hearts and stretch out their hands inearnest supplication unto God will have that help which God alone can give them.A ransom has been paid for the souls of men, that they may have an opportunity toescape from the thralldom of sin and obtain pardon, purity, and heaven.... Thosewho frequent the throne of grace, offering up sincere, earnest petitions for divinewisdom and power, will not fail to become active, useful servants of Christ. Theymay not possess great talents, but with humility of heart and firm reliance upon [204]Jesus they may do a good work in bringing souls to Christ....

Thousands have a false conception of God and His attributes.... God is a Godof truth. Justice and mercy are the attributes of His throne. He is a God of love, ofpity and tender compassion. Thus He is represented in His Son, our Saviour. Heis a God of patience and long-suffering. If such is the being whom we adore andto whose character we are seeking to assimilate, we are worshiping the true God.

If we are following Christ, His merits, imputed to us, come up before theFather as sweet odor. And the graces of our Saviour’s character, implanted in ourhearts, will shed around us a precious fragrance.

235

To Draw Us To God, August 9

I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindnesshave I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3.

The Lord of life and glory clothed His divinity with humanity to demonstrateto man that God through the gift of Christ would connect us with Him. Without aconnection with God no one can possibly be happy. Fallen man is to learn that ourHeavenly Father cannot be satisfied until His love embraces the repentant sinner,transformed through the merits of the spotless Lamb of God.

The work of all the heavenly intelligences is to this end. Under the commandof their General they are to work for the reclaiming of those who by transgressionhave separated themselves from their Heavenly Father. A plan has been devisedwhereby the wondrous grace and love of Christ shall stand revealed to the world.In the infinite price paid by the Son of God to ransom man, the love of God isrevealed. This glorious plan of redemption is ample in its provisions to save thewhole world. Sinful and fallen man may be made complete in Jesus through theforgiveness of sin and the imputed righteousness of Christ.

In all the gracious deeds that Jesus did, He sought to impress upon men theparental, benevolent attributes of God.... Jesus would have us understand thelove of the Father, and He seeks to draw us to Him by presenting His parentalgrace. He would have the whole field of our vision filled with the perfection ofGod’s character.... It was only by living among men that He could reveal themercy, compassion, and love of His heavenly Father; for it was only by actions ofbenevolence that He could set forth the grace of God.

Christ came to manifest the love of God to the world, to draw the hearts ofall men to Himself.... The first step toward salvation is to respond to the drawing[205]of the love of Christ.... It is that men may understand the joy of forgiveness, thepeace of God, that Christ draws them through the manifestation of His love. Ifthey respond to His drawing, yielding their hearts to His grace, He will lead themon step by step, to a full knowledge of Himself, and this is life eternal.

236

Terms Of The Covenant, August 10

If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be apeculiar treasure unto me above all people. Exodus 19:5.

In the beginning, God gave His law to mankind as a means of attaininghappiness and eternal life.

The ten commandments, Thou shalt, and Thou shalt not, are ten promises,assured to us if we render obedience to the law governing the universe. “If ye loveme, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Here is the sum and substance of thelaw of God. The terms of salvation for every son and daughter of Adam are hereoutlined....

That law of ten precepts of the greatest love that can be presented to man isthe voice of God from heaven speaking to the soul in promise, “This do, and youwill not come under the dominion and control of Satan.” There is not a negative inthat law, although it may appear thus. It is DO and Live.

The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been—just what itwas in Paradise before the fall of our first parents—perfect obedience to the lawof God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition shortof this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The waywould be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized.

Christ does not lessen the claims of the law. In unmistakable language Hepresents obedience to it as the condition of eternal life—the same condition thatwas required of Adam before his fall.... The requirement under the covenant ofgrace is just as broad as the requirement made in Eden—harmony with God’s law,which is holy, just, and good.

The standard of character presented in the Old Testament is the same that ispresented in the New Testament. This standard is not one to which we cannotattain. In every command or injunction that God gives there is a promise, the mostpositive, underlying the command. God has made provision that we may becomelike unto Him, and He will accomplish this for all who do not interpose a perversewill and thus frustrate His grace. [206]

237

Written On The Heart, August 11

After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts,and write it in their hearts.... I will forgive their iniquity, and I will

remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:33, 34.

The same law that was engraved upon the tables of stone, is written by theHoly Spirit upon the tables of the heart. Instead of going about to establish ourown righteousness we accept the righteousness of Christ. His blood atones for oursins. His obedience is accepted for us. Then the heart renewed by the Holy Spiritwill bring forth “the fruits of the Spirit.” Through the grace of Christ we shalllive in obedience to the law of God written upon our hearts. Having the Spirit ofChrist, we shall walk even as He walked.

There are two errors against which the children of God—particularly thosewho have just come to trust in His grace—especially need to guard. The first ...is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bringthemselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to become holy by his ownworks in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility....

The opposite and no less dangerous error is, that belief in Christ releases menfrom keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of thegrace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption.... If the law iswritten in the heart, will it not shape the life? ... Instead of releasing man fromobedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ,which enables us to render obedience....

Where there is not only a belief in God’s Word, but a submission of the will toHim; where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there isfaith—faith that works by love, and purifies the soul. Through this faith the heartis renewed in the image of God. And the heart that in its unrenewed state is notsubject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, now delights in its holy precepts,exclaiming with the psalmist, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all theday” (Psalm 119:97). And the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, “whowalk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).[207]

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God’s Eternal Pledge, August 12

He hath remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commandedto a thousand generations. Psalm 105:8.

God stands back of every promise He has made. With your Bibles in yourhands, say: “I have done as Thou hast said. I present Thy promise, ‘Ask, and itshall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you’(Matthew 7:7).” ...

The rainbow about the throne is an assurance that God is true; that in Him isno variableness, neither shadow of turning. We have sinned against Him and areundeserving of His favor; yet He Himself has put into our lips that most wonderfulof pleas: “Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace the throne ofthy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us” (Jeremiah 14:21). He haspledged Himself to give heed to our cry when we come to Him confessing ourunworthiness and sin. The honor of His throne is staked for the fulfillment of Hisword to us.

To everyone who offers himself to the Lord for service, withholding nothing,is given power for the attainment of measureless results. The Lord God is boundby an eternal pledge to supply power and grace to everyone who is sanctifiedthrough obedience to the truth.

Nehemiah pressed into the presence of the King of kings and won to his side apower that can turn hearts as rivers of waters are turned. [See Nehemiah 1 and 2.]

To pray as Nehemiah prayed in his hour of need is a resource at the command ofthe Christian under circumstances when other forms of prayer may be impossible.Toilers in the busy walks of life, crowded and almost overwhelmed with perplexity,can send up a petition to God for divine guidance.... In times of sudden difficultyor peril the heart may send up its cry for help to One who has pledged Himself tocome to the aid of His faithful, believing ones whenever they call upon Him. Inevery circumstance, under every condition, the soul weighed down with grief andcare, or fiercely assailed by temptation, may find assurance, support, and succorin the unfailing love and power of a covenant-keeping God.

239

Unutterable Loneliness, August 13

I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none withme. Isaiah 63:3.

Through childhood, youth, and manhood, Jesus walked alone. In His purity[208]and His faithfulness, He trod the winepress alone, and of the people there wasnone with Him. He carried the awful weight of responsibility for the salvationof men. He knew that unless there was a decided change in the principles andpurposes of the human race, all would be lost. This was the burden of His soul,and none could appreciate the weight that rested upon Him.

Throughout His life His mother and His brothers did not comprehend Hismission. Even His disciples did not understand Him. He had dwelt in eternallight, as one with God, but His life on earth must be spent in solitude. As one withus, He must bear the burden of our guilt and woe. The Sinless One must feel theshame of sin. The peace lover must dwell with strife, the truth must abide withfalsehood, purity with vileness. Every sin, every discord, every defiling lust thattransgression had brought, was torture to His spirit.

Alone He must tread the path; alone He must bear the burden. Upon Him whohad laid off His glory and accepted the weakness of humanity the redemption ofthe world must rest. He saw and felt it all, but His purpose remained steadfast.Upon His arm depended the salvation of the fallen race, and He reached out Hishand to grasp the hand of Omnipotent love.

The loneliness of Christ, separated from the heavenly courts, living the life ofhumanity, was never understood or appreciated by the disciples as it should havebeen... When Jesus was no longer with them, ... they began to see how they mighthave shown Him attentions that would have brought gladness to His heart....

The same want is evident in our world today. But few appreciate all thatChrist is to them. If they did, the great love of Mary [Matthew 26:6-13] would beexpressed, the anointing would be freely bestowed.... Nothing would be thoughttoo costly to give for Christ, no self-denial or self-sacrifice too great to be enduredfor His sake.

240

The Sins Of The World, August 14

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are

healed. Isaiah 53:5.

Some have limited views of the atonement. They think that Christ suffered onlya small portion of the penalty of the law of God; they suppose that, while the wrathof God was felt by His dear Son, He had, through all His painful sufferings, theevidence of His Father’s love and acceptance; that the portals of the tomb beforeHim were illuminated with bright hope, and that He had the abiding evidence of [209]His future glory. Here is a great mistake. Christ’s keenest anguish was a sense ofHis Father’s displeasure. His mental agony because of this was of such intensitythat man can have but faint conception of it.

With many the story of the condescension, humiliation, and sacrifice of ourdivine Lord awakens no deeper interest ... than does the history of the death of themartyrs of Jesus. Many have suffered death by slow tortures; others have suffereddeath by crucifixion. In what does the death of God’s dear Son differ from these?... If the sufferings of Christ consisted in physical pain alone, then His death wasno more painful than that of some of the martyrs. But bodily pain was but a smallpart of the agony of God’s dear Son. The sins of the world were upon Him, alsothe sense of His Father’s wrath as He suffered the penalty of the law transgressed.It was these that crushed His divine soul.... The separation that sin makes betweenGod and man was fully realized and keenly felt by the innocent, suffering Man ofCalvary. He was oppressed by the powers of darkness. He had not one ray of lightto brighten the future.... It was in this terrible hour of darkness, the face of HisFather hidden, legions of evil angels enshrouding Him, the sins of the world uponHim, that the words were wrenched from His lips: “My God, my God, why hastthou forsaken me?” ...

In comparison with the enterprise of everlasting life, every other sinks intoinsignificance.

241

So Costly—and Yet Free, August 15

By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men untojustification of life. Romans 5:18.

Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot grasp it, power cannot command it; butto all who will accept it, God’s glorious grace is freely given. But men may feeltheir need, and, renouncing all self-dependence, accept salvation as a gift. Thosewho enter heaven will not scale its walls by their own righteousness, nor will itsgates be opened to them for costly offerings of gold or silver, but they will gainan entrance to the many mansions of the Father’s house through the merits of thecross of Christ.

For sinful men, the highest consolation, the greatest cause of rejoicing, is thatHeaven has given Jesus to be the sinner’s Saviour.... He offered to go over theground where Adam stumbled and fell; to meet the tempter on the field of battle,and conquer him in man’s behalf. Behold Him in the wilderness of temptation.Forty days and forty nights He fasted, enduring the fiercest assaults of the powersof darkness. He trod the “winepress alone; and of the people there was none with”[210]Him (Isaiah 63:3). It was not for Himself, but that He might break the chain thatheld the human race in slavery to Satan.

As Christ in His humanity sought strength from His Father, that He mightbe enabled to endure trial and temptation, so are we to do. We are to follow theexample of the sinless Son of God. Daily we need help and grace and power fromthe Source of all power. We are to cast our helpless souls upon the One who isready to help us in every time of need. Too often we forget the Lord. Self givesway to impulse, and we lose the victories that we should gain.

If we are overcome let us not delay to repent, and to accept the pardon thatwill place us on vantage ground. If we repent and believe, the cleansing powerfrom God will be ours. His saving grace is freely offered. His pardon is given toall who will receive it.... Over every sinner that repents the angels of God rejoicewith songs of joy. Not one sinner need be lost. Full and free is the gift of savinggrace.

242

A Comforter Like Christ, August 16

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for ifI go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will

send him unto you. John 16:7.

The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, isthe Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divinegrace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour.

With the consecrated worker for God, in whatever place he may be, the HolySpirit abides. The words spoken to the disciples are spoken also to us. TheComforter is ours as well as theirs.

There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is touched withthe feeling of our infirmities. His Spirit speaks to the heart. Circumstances mayseparate us from our friends; the broad, restless ocean may roll between us andthem. Though their sincere friendship may still exist, they may be unable todemonstrate it.... But no circumstances, no distance, can separate us from theheavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always there,one given in Christ’s place, to act in His stead. He is always at our right hand, tospeak soothing, gentle words; to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer. The influenceof the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. This Spirit works in and throughevery one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of this Spirit [211]reveal its fruit—love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

The Holy Spirit ever abides with him who is seeking for perfection of Christiancharacter. The Holy Spirit furnishes the pure motive, the living, active principle,that sustains striving, wrestling, believing souls in every emergency and underevery temptation. The Holy Spirit sustains the believer amid the world’s hatred,amid the unfriendliness of relatives, amid disappointment, amid the realization ofimperfection, and amid the mistakes of life. Depending upon the matchless purityand perfection of Christ, the victory is sure to him who looks unto the Author andFinisher of our faith.... He has borne our sins, in order that through Him we mighthave moral excellence, and attain unto the perfection of Christian character.

243

Purifying, Vitalizing Power, August 17

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.Psalm 51:10.

The Lord purifies the heart very much as we air a room. We do not close thedoors and windows, and throw in some purifying substance; but we open the doorsand throw wide the windows, and let heaven’s purifying atmosphere flow in....The windows of impulse, of feeling must be opened up toward heaven, and thedust of selfishness and earthliness must be expelled. The grace of God must sweepthrough the chambers of the mind, the imagination must have heavenly themes forcontemplation, and every element of the nature must be purified and vitalized bythe Spirit of God.

He who lives the principles of Bible religion, will not be found weak in moralpower. Under the ennobling influence of the Holy Spirit, the tastes and inclinationsbecome pure and holy. Nothing takes so strong a hold upon the affections, nothingreaches so fully down to the deepest motives of action, nothing exerts so potent aninfluence upon the life, and gives so great firmness and stability to the character,as the religion of Christ. It leads its possessor ever upward, inspiring him withnoble purposes, teaching him propriety of deportment, and imparting a becomingdignity to every action.

The church is the object of God’s tenderest love and care. If the memberswill allow Him, He will reveal His character through them. He says to them,“Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Those who walk and talk withGod practice the gentleness of Christ. In their lives, forbearance, meekness, andself-restraint are united with holy earnestness and diligence. As they advance[212]heavenward, the sharp, rough edges of character are worn off, and godliness isseen. The Holy Spirit, full of grace and power, works upon mind and heart.

The heart in which Jesus makes his abode will be quickened, purified, guided,and ruled by the Holy Spirit, and the human agent will make strenuous effortsto bring his character into harmony with God. He will avoid everything that iscontrary to the revealed will and mind of God.

244

The Latter Rain, August 18

Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall makebright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

Zechariah 10:1.

Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in Eastern landsat seedtime and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold the bestowal of spiritualgrace in extraordinary measure upon God’s church. The outpouring of the Spiritin the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early, or former rain, andglorious was the result.... But near the close of earth’s harvest, a special bestowalof spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son ofman. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain; and itis for this added power that Christians are to send their petitions to the Lord of theharvest “in the time of the latter rain.”

As Christ was glorified on the day of Pentecost so will He again be glorified inthe closing work of the gospel, when He shall prepare a people to stand the finaltest, in the closing conflict of the great controversy.

Many ... will be seen hurrying hither and thither, constrained by the Spirit ofGod to bring the light to others. The truth, the Word of God, is as a fire in theirbones, filling them with a burning desire to enlighten those who sit in darkness.Many, even among the uneducated, now proclaim the words of the Lord. Childrenare impelled by the Spirit to go forth and declare the message from heaven. TheSpirit is poured out upon all who will yield to its promptings, and ... they willdeclare the truth with the might of the Spirit’s power.

But unless the members of God’s church today have a living connection withthe Source of all spiritual growth, they will not be ready for the time of reaping.Unless they keep their lamps trimmed and burning, they will fail of receivingadded grace in times of special need.

Divine grace is needed at the beginning, divine grace at every step of advance,and divine grace alone can complete the work. There is no place for us to rest ina careless attitude....By prayer and faith we are continually to seek more of theSpirit. [213]

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It Takes Time, August 19

I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I willkeep it night and day. Isaiah 27:3.

The mind of a man or a woman does not come down in a moment from purityand holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to transform thehuman to the divine, or to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutalor the satanic. By beholding we become changed. Though formed in the imageof his Maker, man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed willbecome pleasant to him. As he ceases to watch and pray, he ceases to guard thecitadel, the heart....Constant war against the carnal mind must be maintained; andwe must be aided by the refining influence of the grace of God, which will attractthe mind upward and habituate it to meditate upon pure and holy things.

Character does not come by chance. It is not determined by one outburst oftemper, one step in the wrong direction. It is the repetition of the act that causesit to become habit, and molds the character either for good or for evil. Rightcharacters can be formed only by persevering, untiring effort, by improving everyentrusted talent and capability to the glory of God.

God expects us to build characters in accordance with the pattern set beforeus. We are to lay brick by brick, adding grace to grace, finding our weak pointsand correcting them in accordance with the directions given.

God gives us strength, reasoning power, time, in order that we may buildcharacters on which He can place His stamp of approval. He desires each child ofHis to build a noble character, by the doing of pure, noble deeds, that in the endhe may present a symmetrical structure, a fair temple, honored by man and God....

He who would grow into a beautiful building for the Lord must cultivate everypower of the being. It is only by the right use of the talents that the charactercan be developed harmoniously. Thus we bring to the foundation that which isrepresented in the Word as gold, silver, precious stones—material that will standthe test of God’s purifying fires.[214]

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Perfection Now?, August 20

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.Matthew 5:48.

When God gave His Son to the world, He made it possible for men and womento be perfect by the use of every capability of their beings to the glory of God. InChrist He gave to them the riches of His grace, and a knowledge of His will. Asthey would empty themselves of self, and learn to walk in humility, leaning onGod for guidance, men would be enabled to fulfill God’s high purpose for them.

Perfection of character is based upon that which Christ is to us. If we haveconstant dependence on the merits of our Saviour, and walk in His footsteps, weshall be like Him, pure and undefiled.

Our Saviour does not require impossibilities of any soul. He expects nothingof His disciples that He is not willing to give them grace and strength to perform.He would not call upon them to be perfect if He had not at His command everyperfection of grace to bestow on the ones upon whom He would confer so highand holy a privilege....

Our work is to strive to attain in our sphere of action the perfection that Christin His life on the earth attained in every phase of character. He is our example.In all things we are to strive to honor God in character.... We are to be whollydependent on the power that He has promised to give us.

Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not havethrough faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers maypossess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was.

Our Saviour is a Saviour for the perfection of the whole man. He is not theGod of part of the being only. The grace of Christ works to the disciplining of thewhole human fabric. He made all. He has redeemed all. He has made the mind,the strength, the body as well as the soul, partaker of the divine nature, and all isHis purchased possession. He must be served with the whole mind, heart, soul,and strength. Then the Lord will be glorified in His saints in even the common,temporal things with which they are connected. “Holiness unto the Lord” will bein the inscription placed upon them.

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Awaiting Our Demand, August 21

Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24.

Prayer is heaven’s ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the[215]development of Christian character. The divine influences that come in answerto the prayer of faith will accomplish in the soul of the suppliant all for whichhe pleads. For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, forwisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask;and the promise is, “Ye shall receive.”

Jesus is our helper; in Him and through Him we must conquer.... The graceof Christ is waiting your demand upon it. He will give you grace and strength asyou need it if you ask Him.... The religion of Christ will bind and restrain everyunholy passion, will stimulate to energy, to self-discipline, and industry, evenin the matters of homely, everyday life, leading us to learn economy, tact, andself-denial, and to endure even privation without a murmur. The Spirit of Christ inthe heart will be revealed in the character, will develop noble qualities and powers.“My grace is sufficient” (2 Corinthians 12:9) says Christ.

Make every effort to keep open the communion between Jesus and your ownsoul.... We should pray in the family circle, and above all we must not neglectsecret prayer; for this is the life of the soul. It is impossible for the soul to flourishwhile prayer is neglected. Family or public prayer alone is not sufficient. Insolitude let the soul be laid open to the inspecting eye of God. Secret prayer is tobe heard only by the prayer-hearing God. No curious ear is to receive the burdenof such petitions. In secret prayer the soul is free from surrounding influences,free from excitement.... By calm, simple faith, the soul holds communion withGod, and gathers to itself rays of divine light to strengthen and sustain it in theconflict with Satan....

Pray in your closet, and as you go about your daily labor, let your heart be oftenuplifted to God. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. These silent prayersrise like precious incense before the throne of grace. Satan cannot overcome himwhose heart is thus stayed upon God.

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Angel Reinforcements, August 22

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and overall the power of the enemy. Luke 10:19.

Fallen man is Satan’s lawful captive. The mission of Christ was to rescue himfrom the power of his great adversary. Man is naturally inclined to follow Satan’ssuggestions, and he cannot successfully resist so terrible a foe unless Christ, themighty Conqueror, dwells in him, guiding his desires, and giving him strength.God alone can limit the power of Satan.... Satan knows better than God’s peoplethe power that they can have over him when their strength is in Christ. When theyhumbly entreat the mighty Conqueror for help, the weakest believer in the truth, [216]relying firmly upon Christ, can successfully repulse Satan and all his host....

Satan will call to his aid legions of his angels to oppose the advance of evenone soul, and, if possible, wrest it from the hand of Christ.... But if the one indanger perseveres, and in his helplessness casts himself upon the merits of theblood of Christ, our Saviour listens to the earnest prayer of faith, and sends areinforcement of those angels that excel in strength to deliver him. Satan cannotendure to have his powerful rival appealed to, for he fears and trembles before Hisstrength and majesty. At the sound of fervent prayer, Satan’s whole host trembles.

Nothing but Christ’s loving compassion, His divine grace, His almighty power,can enable us to baffle the relentless foe, and subdue the opposition of our ownhearts. What is our strength? The joy of the Lord. Let the love of Christ fill ourhearts, and then we shall be prepared to receive the power that He has for us....

Beholding Christ for the purpose of becoming like Him, the seeker after truthsees the perfection of the principles of God’s law, and he becomes dissatisfied witheverything but perfection.... A battle must be fought with the attributes that Satanhas been strengthening for his own use.... But he knows that with the Redeemerthere is saving power that will gain for him the victory in the conflict. The Saviourwill strengthen and help him as he comes pleading for grace and efficiency.

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The Christian’s Badge, August 23

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we askor think, according to the power that worketh in us. Ephesians 3:20.

The Lord is waiting to manifest through His people His grace and power. ButHe requires that those who engage in His service shall keep their minds everdirected to Him. Every day they should have time for reading the Word of Godand for prayer....

Individually we are to walk and talk with God; then the sacred influence of thegospel of Christ in all its preciousness will appear in our lives.

There is an eloquence far more powerful than the eloquence of words in thequiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. What a man is has more influencethan what he says.

The officers who were sent to Jesus came back with the report that never manspoke as He spoke. But the reason for this was that never man lived as He lived.Had His life been other than it was, He could not have spoken as He did. Hiswords bore with them a convincing power, because they came from a heart pure[217]and holy, full of love and sympathy, benevolence and truth.

It is our own character and experience that determine our influence upon others.In order to convince others of the power of Christ’s grace, we must know its powerin our own hearts and lives. The gospel we present for the saving of souls must bethe gospel by which our own souls are saved. Only through a living faith in Christas a personal Saviour is it possible to make our influence felt in a skeptical world.If we would draw sinners out of the swift-running current, our own feet must befirmly set upon the Rock, Christ Jesus.

The badge of Christianity is not an outward sign, not the wearing of a cross or acrown, but it is that which reveals the union of man with God. By the power of Hisgrace manifested in the transformation of character the world is to be convincedthat God has sent His Son as its Redeemer. No other influence that can surroundthe human soul has such power as the influence of an unselfish life. The strongestargument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian.

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Conditions Of Christian Growth, August 24

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more inknowledge and in all judgment; ... being filled with the fruits of

righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.Philippians 1:9-11.

Where there is life, there will be growth and fruit-bearing; but unless we growin grace, our spirituality will be dwarfed, sickly, fruitless. It is only by growing,by bearing fruit, that we can fulfill God’s purpose for us. “Herein is my Fatherglorified,” Christ said, “that ye bear much fruit” (John 15:8). In order to bear muchfruit, we must make the most of our privileges. We must use every opportunitygranted us for obtaining strength.

A pure, noble character, with all its grand possibilities, has been provided forevery human being. But there are many who have not an earnest longing for such acharacter. They are not willing to part with the evil that they may have the good....They neglect to grasp the blessings that would place them in harmony with God....They cannot grow.

One of the divine plans for growth is impartation. The Christian is to gainstrength by strengthening others. “He that watereth shall be watered also himself”(Proverbs 11:25). This is not merely a promise; it is a divine law, a law by whichGod designs that the streams of benevolence, like the waters of the great deep, [218]shall be kept in constant circulation, continually flowing back to their source. Inthe fulfilling of this law is the secret of spiritual growth....

If we come to God in faith, He will receive us and give us strength to climbupward to perfection. If we watch every word and action, that we may do nothingto dishonor the One who has trusted us, if we improve every opportunity grantedus, we shall grow into the full stature of men and women in Christ....

Christians, is Christ revealed in us? Are we doing all in our power to gain abody that is not easily enfeebled, a mind that looks beyond self to the cause andeffect of every movement, that can wrestle with hard problems and conquer them,a will that is firm to resist evil and defend the right? Are we crucifying self? Arewe growing up into the full stature of men and women in Christ, preparing toendure hardness as good soldiers of the cross?

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In Kindness, August 25

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Colossians 3:12.

Let the law of kindness be upon your lips and the oil of grace in your heart.This will produce wonderful results. You will be tender, sympathetic, courteous.You need all these graces. The Holy Spirit must be received and brought intoyour character; then it will be as holy fire, giving forth incense which will riseup to God, not from lips that condemn, but as a healer of the souls of men. Yourcountenance will express the image of the divine.... By beholding the characterof Christ you will become changed into His likeness. The grace of Christ alonecan change your heart and then you will reflect the image of the Lord Jesus. Godcalls upon us to be like Him—pure, holy, and undefiled. We are to bear the divineimage....

The Lord Jesus is our only helper. Through His grace we shall learn to cultivatelove, to educate ourselves to speak kindly and tenderly. Through His grace ourcold, harsh manners will be transformed. The law of kindness will be upon ourlips, and those who are under the precious influences of the Holy Spirit, will notfeel that it is an evidence of weakness to weep with those who weep, to rejoicewith them that rejoice. We are to cultivate heavenly excellences of character. Weare to learn what it means to have good-will toward all men, a sincere desire to beas sunshine and not as shadow in the lives of others.[219]

Seize every opportunity to contribute to the happiness of those around you,sharing with them your affection. Words of kindness, looks of sympathy, expres-sions of appreciation, would to many a struggling, lonely one be as a cup of coldwater to a thirsty soul....

Live in the sunshine of the Saviour’s love. Then your influence will bless theworld. Let the Spirit of Christ control you. Let the law of kindness be ever onyour lips. Forbearance and unselfishness mark the words and actions of those whoare born again, to live the new life in Christ.

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A Divine Prescription, August 26

That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye inhim, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2

Thessalonians 1:12.

Many are longing to grow in grace; they pray over the matter, and are surprisedthat their prayers are not answered. The Master has given them a work to dowhereby they shall grow. Of what value is it to pray when there is need of work?The question is, Are they seeking to save souls for whom Christ died? Spiritualgrowth depends upon giving to others the light that God has given to you. You areto put forth your best thoughts in active labor to do good, and only good, in yourfamily, in your church, and in your neighborhood.

In place of growing anxious with the thought that you are not growing in grace,just do every duty that presents itself, carry the burden of souls on your heart,and by every conceivable means seek to save the lost. Be kind, be courteous, bepitiful; speak in humility of the blessed hope; talk of the love of Jesus; tell of Hisgoodness, His mercy, and His righteousness; and cease to worry as to whether ornot you are growing. Plants do not grow through any conscious effort.... The plantis not in continual worriment about its growth; it just grows under the supervisionof God.

If we will consecrate heart and mind to the service of God, doing the workHe has for us to do and walking in the footsteps of Jesus, our hearts will becomesacred harps, every chord of which will send forth praise and thanksgiving to theLamb sent by God to take away the sins of the world....

The Lord Jesus is our strength and happiness, the great storehouse from which,on every occasion, men may draw strength. As we study Him, talk of Him,become more and more able to behold Him—as we avail ourselves of His graceand receive the blessings He proffers us, we have something with which to helpothers. Filled with gratitude, we communi

* * * * *[220]

cate to others the blessings that have been freely given us. Thus receiving andimparting, we grow in grace.

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Union With Christ, August 27

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh,to fulfil the lusts thereof. Romans 13:14.

To effect the salvation of men, God employs various agencies. He speaks tothem by His word and by His ministers, and He sends by the Holy Spirit messagesof warning, reproof, and instruction. These means are designed to enlighten theunderstanding of the people, to reveal to them their duty and their sins, and theblessings which they may receive; to awaken in them a sense of spiritual want,that they may go to Christ and find in Him the grace they need....

Every individual, by his own act, either puts Christ from him by refusingto cherish His spirit and follow His example, or he enters into a personal unionwith Christ by self-renunciation, faith, and obedience. We must, each for himself,choose Christ, because He has first chosen us. This union with Christ is to beformed by those who are naturally at enmity with Him. It is a relation of utterdependence, to be entered into by a proud heart. This is close work, and manywho profess to be followers of Christ know nothing of it. They nominally acceptthe Saviour, but not as the sole ruler of their hearts....

To renounce their own will, perhaps their chosen object of affection or pursuit,requires an effort, at which many hesitate and falter and turn back. Yet thisbattle must be fought by every heart that is truly converted. We must war againsttemptations without and within. We must gain the victory over self, crucify theaffections and lusts; and then begins the union of the soul with Christ.... Afterthis union is formed, it can be preserved only by continual, earnest, painstakingeffort. Christ exercises His power to preserve and guard this sacred tie, and thedependent, helpless sinner must act his part with untiring energy, or Satan by hiscruel, cunning power will separate him from Christ....

Your birth, your reputation, your wealth, your talents, your virtues, your piety,your philanthropy, . . will not form a bond of union between your soul and Christ.Your connection with the church ... will be of no avail unless you believe in Christ.It is not enough to believe about Him. You must believe in Him. You must relywholly upon His saving grace.[221]

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Praise God!, August 28

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord,according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness

toward the house of Israel. Isaiah 63:7.

When a sense of the loving-kindness of God is constantly refreshing the soul,it will be revealed in the countenance by an expression of peace and joy. It will bemanifest in the words and works. And the generous, holy Spirit of Christ, workingupon the heart, will yield in the life a converting influence upon others....

Have we not reason to talk of God’s goodness and to tell of His power? Whenfriends are kind to us we esteem it a privilege to thank them for their kindness.How much more should we count it a joy to return thanks to the Friend whohas given us every good and perfect gift. Then let us, in every church, cultivatethanksgiving to God. Let us educate our lips to praise God in the family circle....Let our gifts and offerings declare our gratitude for the favors we daily receive. Ineverything we should show forth the joy of the Lord....

David declares, “I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and mysupplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call uponhim as long as I live” (Psalm 116:1, 2). God’s goodness in hearing and answeringprayer places us under heavy obligation to express our thanksgiving for the favorsbestowed upon us. We should praise God much more than we do. The blessingsreceived in answer to prayer should be promptly acknowledged....

We grieve the Spirit of Christ by our complaints and murmurings and repinings.We should not dishonor God by the mournful relation of trials that appear grievous.All trials that are received as educators will produce joy. The whole religious lifewill be uplifting, elevating, ennobling, fragrant with good words and works.

Let the peace of God reign in your soul. Then you will have strength to bearall suffering, and you will rejoice that you have grace to endure. Praise the Lord;talk of His goodness; tell of His power. Sweeten the atmosphere that surroundsyour soul.... Praise with heart and soul and voice, Him who is the health of yourcountenance, your Saviour, and your God. [222]

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While We Wait, August 29

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselveslike unto men that wait for their Lord. Luke 12:35, 36.

Now is the time to prepare for the coming of our Lord. Readiness to meetHim cannot be attained in a moment’s time. Preparatory to that solemn scenethere must be vigilant waiting and watching, combined with earnest work. SoGod’s children glorify Him. Amid the busy scenes of life their voices will beheard speaking words of encouragement, faith, and hope. All they have and are isconsecrated to the Master’s service....

Christ tells us when the day of His kingdom shall be ushered in. He does notsay that all the world will be converted, but that “this gospel of the kingdom shallbe preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the endcome” (Matthew 24:14). By giving the gospel to the world, it is in our power tohasten the coming of the day of God. Had the church of Christ done her appointedwork as the Lord ordained, the whole world would before this have been warned,and the Lord Jesus would have come to the earth in power and great glory.

Living power must attend the message of Christ’s second appearing. We mustnot rest until we see many souls converted to the blessed hope of the Lord’s return.In the days of the apostles the message that they bore wrought a real work, turningsouls from idols to serve the living God. The work to be done today is just as real,and the truth is just as much truth; only we are to give the message with as muchmore earnestness as the coming of the Lord is nearer. The message for this time ispositive, simple, and of the deepest importance. We must act like men and womenwho believe it. Waiting, watching, working, praying, warning the world—this isour work.

I have been deeply impressed by scenes that have recently passed before me inthe night season. There seemed to be a great movement—a work of revival—goingforward in many places. Our people were moving into line, responding to God’scall. My brethren, the Lord is speaking to us. Shall we not heed His call? Shallwe not trim our lamps, and act like men who look for their Lord to come?

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What A Reward!, August 30

If any man’s work abide ..., he shall receive a reward. 1 Corinthians 3:14.

Glorious will be the reward bestowed when the faithful workers gather about [223]the throne of God and of the Lamb. When John in his mortal state beheld theglory of God, he fell as one dead; he was not able to endure the sight. But whenthe children of God shall have put on immortality, they will “see him as he is” (1John 3:2). They will stand before the throne, accepted in the Beloved. All theirsins have been blotted out, all their transgressions borne away. Now they can lookupon the undimmed glory of the throne of God. They have been partakers withChrist in His sufferings, they have been workers together with Him in the plan ofredemption, and they are partakers with Him in the joy of seeing souls saved inthe kingdom of God, there to praise God through all eternity....

In that day the redeemed will shine forth in the glory of the Father and theSon. The angels, touching their golden harps, will welcome the King and Histrophies of victory... A song of triumph will peal forth, filling all heaven. Christhas conquered. He enters the heavenly courts, accompanied by His redeemedones, the witnesses that His mission of suffering and sacrifice has not been invain....

There are homes for the pilgrims of earth. There are robes for the righteous,with crowns of glory and palms of victory. All that has perplexed us in theprovidences of God will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard to beunderstood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold beforeus. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken promises, weshall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite loveordered the experiences that seemed most trying. As we realize the tender care ofHim who makes all things work together for our good, we shall rejoice with joyunspeakable and full of glory.

I urge you to prepare for the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven....Prepare for the judgment, that when Christ shall come, to be admired in all themthat believe, you may be among those who will meet Him in peace.

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Look Up!, August 31

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably toJerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her

iniquity is pardoned. Isaiah 40:1, 2.

In the darkest days of her long conflict with evil, the church of God has beengiven revelations of the eternal purpose of Jehovah. His people have been permittedto look beyond the trials of the present to the triumphs of the future, when, thewarfare having been accomplished, the redeemed will enter into possession of thepromised land. These visions of future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God,[224]should be dear to His church today, when the controversy of the ages is rapidlyclosing and the promised blessings are soon to be realized in all their fullness.

To us who are standing on the very verge of their fulfillment, of what deepmoment, what living interest, are these delineations of the things to come—eventsfor which, since our first parents turned their steps from Eden, God’s childrenhave watched and waited, longed and prayed!

Fellow pilgrim, we are still amid the shadows and turmoil of earthly activities;but soon our Saviour is to appear to bring deliverance and rest. Let us by faithbehold the blessed hereafter as pictured by the hand of God. He who died for thesins of the world is opening wide the gates of Paradise to all who believe on Him.Soon the battle will have been fought, the victory won. Soon we shall see Himin whom our hopes of eternal life are centered. And in His presence the trialsand sufferings of this life will seem as nothingness. The former things “shall notbe remembered, nor come into mind.”“Cast not away therefore your confidence,which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, afterye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while,and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”“Israel shall be saved ... withan everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world withoutend.”

Look up, look up, and let your faith continually increase. Let this faith guideyou along the narrow path that leads through the gates of the city into the greatbeyond, the wide, unbounded future of glory that is for the redeemed.

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September—This Day With God

The Conflict Over, September 1

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittleshall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Matthew 5:18.

When Christ entered upon His campaign, Satan met Him and contested everyinch of ground, exerting his utmost powers to conquer Him. Much was involvedin this controversy. Intense interests were at stake. The questions to be answeredwere: “Is God’s law imperfect, in need of being amended or abrogated? or is itimmutable? Is God’s government stable? or is it in need of changes?” Not onlybefore those living in the city of God, but before the inhabitants of all the heavenlyuniverse, were these questions to be answered....

From the manger to the cross Satan followed the Son of God. Temptationsbeat upon Him like a tempest. But the more fierce the conflict, the more familiarHe became with the temptations wherewith man is beset, and the better prepared[225]He was to succor the tempted.

The severity of the trial through which Christ passed was proportionate to thevalue of the object to be gained or lost by His success or failure. Not merely theinterests of one world were involved. This world was the battlefield, but all theworlds that God has created were affected by the result of the conflict....Satansought to make it appear that he was working for the liberty of the universe. Evenwhile Christ was on the cross, the enemy was determined to make his argumentsso varied, so deceptive, so insidious, that all would be convinced that God’s lawwas tyrannical. He himself laid every scheme, planned every evil, inflamed everymind to bring affliction on Christ. He himself instigated the false accusationsagainst One who had done only good. He himself inspired the cruel deeds thatadded to the suffering of the Son of God—the pure, the holy, the innocent.

By this course of action Satan has forged a chain by which he himself will bebound. The heavenly universe will bear witness to the justice of God in punishinghim. Heaven itself saw what heaven would be, if he were in it....

Not merely in the minds of a few finite creatures in this world, but in the mindsof all the inhabitants of the heavenly universe, has the immutability of God’slaw been established.... With one voice they extolled God as righteous, merciful,self-denying, just.

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Agents For Heaven, September 2

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love asbrethren, be pitiful, be courteous. 1 Peter 3:8.

What great need there is of cultivating tenderness and gentleness. None shouldbe ashamed to manifest a tender, compassionate spirit for those who err; for thosewho think they make no mistakes and far from being without fault before God.No one need to think that the manifestation of compassion is something for whichhe need be ashamed....

When a crisis comes in the life of any soul, and another attempts to give advice,that advice and counsel will have only the weight of influence for good that theirexample and spirit of the adviser has accumulated for him. It is the consistent life,the revelation of a sincere, Christlike interest for the soul in peril, that will makecounsel effectual to persuade and win into safe paths. Those who are quick tocensure others, who speak words that cut and bruise the already wounded soul,are doing Satan’s work, and are laborers with the prince of darkness....

Let the tempted and tried souls remember that when chastisement comes [226]upon them, it is the Lord who would save them from death. Let the souls towhom reproof comes, remember that “as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten”(Revelation 3:19).

The human agent, imbued with the Spirit of Christ, will watch for souls asthey that must give an account. The claims of Christ are upon us, and we mustunderstand our duty, and do it in the fear of God, with an eye single to His glory,and not prove unfaithful. Let no thought of self or of natural feelings be cherishedto keep the lips silent. Speak, and be not afraid. With the heart full of tendernessand love for souls, warn, exhort, and entreat.

Never cease to labor for a soul while there is one ray of hope. Your words maycut to the soul. Oh, then be cautious, and clothe them with the love and tendernessof Jesus. Soften every accent with love and sympathy.... As you deal with others,as you judge others, so the Lord will judge and deal with you. Let the agent whoclaims to be a child of God, practice the lessons of Christ. If he is compelled towound, let him feel the duty of healing as compulsory upon him. The truth is everto be spoken in love, with the Spirit of Christ abiding in the soul.

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How To Make An Impact, September 3

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that theywere unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took

knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13.

When Christ was upon this earth, He did not direct fishermen to leave theirnets and boats, and go to the Jewish teachers to gain a preparation for the gospelministry. Walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw “two brethren, Simon calledPeter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Andthey straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence,he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in aship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And theyimmediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-22).

This prompt obedience, without any question, without one promise of wages,seems remarkable. But the words of Christ were an invitation that implied all thatHe meant it should. There was an impelling influence in His words. There was nolong explanation, but what He said had a drawing power....

Christ would make these humble fishermen, in connection with Himself, themeans of taking men out of the service of Satan, and making them believers in[227]Christ, teaching them in regard to the kingdom of God. In this work they wouldbecome His ministers, fishers of men....

Christ chose the foolish things of the world—those whom the world pro-nounced unlearned and ignorant—to confound the wise men of the world. Thedisciples were unlearned in the traditions of the rabbis, but with Christ as theirexample and teacher, they were gaining an education of the highest order; for theyhad before them a divine Example. Christ was presenting to them truths of thehighest character.

Those whom God employs to do service for Him, He would have fitted in Hisway for that service. Those who preach Christ must learn of Christ daily, in orderto understand the mystery of saving and serving the souls for whom He has died....They must pattern after Him in all things, sharing His tender compassion and Hissternness against all evil working.

262

For The Fearful, Faint, And Feeble, September 4

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verilythou shalt be fed. Psalm 37:3.

“Trust in the Lord.” Each day has its burdens, its cares, and perplexities; andwhen we meet, how ready we are to talk of our difficulties and trials. So manyborrowed troubles intrude, so many fears are indulged, such a weight of anxiety isexpressed, that one might almost suppose that we had no pitying, loving Saviour,ready to hear all our requests, and to be to us a present help in every time of need.

Some are always fearing and borrowing trouble. Every day they are sur-rounded by the tokens of God’s love, every day they are enjoying the bountiesof His providence; but they overlook these present blessings. Their minds arecontinually dwelling upon something disagreeable which they fear may come: orsome difficulty may really exist, which, though small, blinds their eyes to the manythings which demand gratitude. The difficulties which they encounter, instead ofdriving them to God, the only source of help, separate them from Him, becausethey awaken unrest and repining.

Brethren and sisters, do we well to be thus unbelieving? Why should we beungrateful and distrustful? Jesus is our friend. All heaven is interested in ourwelfare; and our anxiety and fear grieve the Holy Spirit of God. We should notindulge in a solicitude which only frets and wears us, but does not help us to beartrials. No place should be given to that distrust of God which leads us to make apreparation against future want the chief pursuit of life, as though our happinessconsisted in these earthly things, and we could gain them while ignoring the fact [228]that God controls all things.

You may be perplexed in business; your prospects may grow darker and darker,and you may be threatened with loss. But do not become discouraged; cast yourcare upon God, and remain calm and cheerful. Begin every day with earnestprayer, not omitting to offer praise and thanksgiving. Ask for wisdom to manageyour affairs with discretion, and thus prevent loss and disaster. Do all you can onyour part to bring about favorable results. Jesus has promised divine aid, but notaside from human efforts.

263

The Only Security, September 5

Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and youthroughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that

doth sanctify you. Exodus 31:13.

Let every one seek the Lord for himself. Eternity is before us. You cannotafford to let another day pass without taking your position on the Lord’s side. Willyou not act the part that God has appointed you to act in the closing scenes of thisearth’s history?

It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God whowill be alive on the earth when past woes and celestial glory will be blended. Theywill walk in the light proceeding from the throne of God. By the means of theangels there will be constant communication between heaven and earth. AndSatan, surrounded by evil angels, and claiming to be God, will work miracles ofall kinds, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. God’s people will not find theirsafety in working miracles; for Satan would counterfeit any miracle that mightbe worked. God’s tried and tested people will find their power in the sign spokenof in Exodus 31:12-18. They are to take their stand on the living Word—“It iswritten.” This is the only foundation upon which they can stand securely. Thosewho have broken their covenant with God will in that day be without hope andwithout God in the world.

The worshipers of God will be especially distinguished by their regard for thefourth commandment—since this is the sign of His creative power, and the witnessto His claim upon man’s reverence and homage. The wicked will be distinguishedby their efforts to tear down the Creator’s memorial, to exalt the institution ofRome. In the issue of the contest, all Christendom will be divided into two greatclasses—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, andthose who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark....

Fearful tests and trials await the people of God. The spirit of war is stirring[229]the nations from one end of the earth to the other. But in the midst of the time oftrouble that is coming—a time of trouble such as has not been since there was anation—God’s chosen people will stand unmoved. Satan and his angels cannotdestroy them; for angels that excel in strength will protect them.

264

Open The Top Windows!, September 6

Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. 1Chronicles 16:11.

Now just now is our opportunity to open the windows of the soul heavenwardand to close the windows earthward. Now is the time for every church member tosay, I will close my heart to everything that would hinder my communion withChrist; I will open the windows of my soul heavenward that I may understandspiritual things.

Believers need to talk with God in regard to their individual need of the HolySpirit. The Word of God must be their assurance. All heaven is inviting us toreceive the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness into our lives. If we willtalk faith and hope and courage, our souls will be strengthened, and our hopeand courage and faith will increase. Let us seek this great gift of the Sun ofRighteousness, that it may shine forth in our lives to others. Let us seek theLord that we may learn how to work His works in the world. This will make ussuccessful missionaries, able to help others to a hopeful, courageous experience.

In our service for the Master, let not the little things be overlooked. Everyhuman being has a life web to weave, and if the pattern is complete and perfectedat last, every thread of the pattern must be carefully and faithfully worked. Thegrace of Christ will enable us to weave skillfully and well. Day by day we areto put forth personal diligent effort to improve. Every day we are to use ourChristian intelligence in the work of strengthening the weak, and encouraging thedesponding. A great test is coming to every soul. Shall we not then work andwatch and pray and praise the Lord? This will give us a most precious experience.Very much has been lost to many believers because they have neglected to seekthe Lord with earnestness and with a faith that will not be denied.

Words spoken and works performed in a simple, humble, encouraging waywill inspire faith in other hearts. The Lord is soon to come, and the natural heartmust be daily converted. We must learn to speak words in the meekness of Christ;our works and our spirit must testify that we are serving the Lord. [230]

265

Assurance Of Victory, September 7

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this presentevil world, according to the will of God and our Father. Galatians 1:4.

By giving His life for the life of the world, Christ bridged the gulf that sin hadmade, joining this sin-cursed earth to the universe of heaven as a province. Godchose this world to be the theater of His mighty works of grace. While the sentenceof condemnation was suspended over it because of the rebellion of its inhabitants,while the clouds of wrath were accumulating because of the transgression of thelaw of God, a mysterious voice was heard in heaven, “Lo, I come... to do thy will,O God” (Psalm 40:7, 8). Our substitute and surety came from heaven declaringthat He had brought with Him the vast and inestimable donation of eternal life.Pardon is offered to all who will return their allegiance to the law of God. But thereare those who refuse to accept a “thus saith the Lord.” They will not reverence andrespect His law. They make rigorous human enactments in opposition to a “thussaith the Lord,” and by precept and example lead men, women, and children intosin. They exalt human enactments above the divine law. But the condemnationand wrath of God are suspended over the disobedient. The clouds of God’s justiceare gathering. The material of destruction has been piled up for ages; and stillapostasy, rebellion, and disloyalty against God is continually increasing. Theremnant people of God, who keep His commandments, will understand the wordspoken by Daniel, “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but thewicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wiseshall understand” (Daniel 12:10).

Satan has called this world his territory. Here his seat is, and he holds inallegiance to himself all who refuse to keep God’s commandments, who reject aplain, “thus saith the Lord.” They stand under the enemy’s banner; for there arebut two parties in the world. All rank either under the banner of the obedient orunder the banner of the disobedient.

Jesus is now sending His message to a fallen world. He delights to takeapparently hopeless material, those through whom Satan has worked, and makethem the subjects of His grace. He rejoices to deliver them from the wrath whichis to fall upon the disobedient.[231]

266

Heavenly Guarantee, September 8

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall beopened unto you. Matthew 7:7.

Oh, if every one would only know by personal experience how much ofheaven’s promised rest can be secured to the soul, even now, by sincere prayer.If one has not learned this lesson, every other lesson of life [had] better not belearned till he shall learn in the school of Christ how to master this lesson.

As Christians we want a new and living experience every day. We want tolearn how to trust Jesus, to believe in Him and confide everything to Him. Jacobwas raised from a man of feebleness and defects, through faith in God in prayer,to be a prince with God. He prevailed through faith. God is omnipotent. Man isfinite. In converse with God, we may lay the most secret thing of the soul open toHim—for He knows it all—but not to man....

Do not become careless and separate from the Source of your strength. Watchyour thoughts, watch your words, and in all things you seek to do, seek to glorifyGod. The more closely you lie at the foot of the cross, the more clearly will yousee the matchless charms of Jesus and the unparalleled love He has evidenced forfallen man....

Let not the pressure of business separate you from God, for if you ever needcounsel and clear forethought and sharp ideas, it is when you have much work onyour hands. It is then that you need to take time to pray, to have increased faithand implicit trust in the counsel of the Physician in Chief. Ask Him to help you.Pray the oftener the more critical the work you have to do....

Oh what a theme to contemplate that man, depraved and lost in his naturalcondition, may be renewed and saved by the gracious help that Christ gives him inthe gospel. The love of Jesus in the soul will drive out the enemy who is seekingto take possession of man. Every trial patiently borne, every blessing thankfullyreceived, every temptation faithfully resisted, will make you a strong man in JesusChrist. All this grace may be gained in the prayer of faith....

Lay hold upon strength from above. Even Jesus, when preparing for somegreat trial, would resort to the solitude of the mountains and spend the night inprayer to His Father. [232]

267

Living The New Life, September 9

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do yeeven so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12.

Christ came to teach us, not only what we ought to know and believe, but alsowhat we ought to do in our relations with God and with our fellow men. Thegolden rule of equity demands that we do unto others as we would they should dounto us. We are to keep their eternal interests in view, saying to ourselves, “Theyare the purchase of the Saviour’s blood, bought with a price.”

In all our dealing with our fellow men, whether they be believers or unbelievers,we are to treat them as Christ would treat them were He in our place. If it is forour present and eternal good to obey the law of God, it will be for their present andeternal good also to do this. Our highest aim is to be to them medical missionaryworkers after Christ’s order....

All who enter through the pearly gates into the city of God must have setforth Christ in all their dealings. It is this that constitutes them the messengers ofChrist, His witnesses. They are to bear a plain, decided testimony against all evilpractices, pointing them to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of theworld. He gives to all who receive Him, power to become the sons of God.

Regeneration is the only path by which we can reach the holy city. It is narrowand the gate by which we enter is strait, but along it we are to lead men andwomen and children, teaching them that in order to be saved, they must have a newheart and a new spirit. The old hereditary traits of character are to be overcome.The natural desires of the soul must be changed. All deception, all falsifying, allevil-speaking must be put away. The new life, which makes men and womenChristlike, is to be lived. We are, as it were, to swim against the current of evil.

The way to heaven is narrow, hedged in by the divine law of Jehovah. Thosewho follow this way must constantly deny self. They must obey the teachings ofChrist.... Let us not trust in man, but in Jesus Christ, who died that He might winus to righteousness.

268

Essentials Of Salvation, September 10

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk aschildren of light. Ephesians 5:8.

[233]He who commanded the light to shine out of darkness sheds light into the

mind of every one who will properly behold Him, loving Him supremely, showingunswerving faith and trust in Him. His light shines into the chambers of the mindand into the soul temple. The heart is filled with the light of the knowledge of theglory that shines in the face of Jesus Christ. And with this light comes spiritualdiscernment....

Yielding willingly to the evidence of truth, and walking in the light thatshines in our pathway, we receive still greater light. Through the power of themanifestation of divine glory, we constantly advance in spiritual understanding.

Christ’s knowledge of truth was direct, positive, without a shadow. The closerthe acquaintance a man has with Jesus Christ, the more careful he will be to treathis fellow men respectfully, courteously, righteously. He has learned of Christ,and he follows His example in word and action. By faith he is united with Christ.“We are labourers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9)....

Christ’s prayer was for unity among His followers. This unity is the evidencethat is to convince the world that God sent His Son to save sinners. We serveChrist by revealing true, pure, holy love for one another. Those who are chosen toconnect with the Lord’s institutions are to be devoted, self-denying, self-sacrificingmen, living not to please themselves, but to please the Master. These are the menwho will do honor to the Lord’s institutions.

A knowledge of God and of Christ is positively essential to salvation. We losemuch every day that we do not learn more of the meekness and lowliness of Christ.Those who learn of Christ obtain the very highest class of education. Throughfaith and dependence on the saving grace of Christ, they increase in knowledgeand wisdom. They love and praise the Saviour....

Those who are saved must in this life make it their daily business to receivegrace from God, not to hoard in selfishness, but to impart for the blessing of thoseconnected with them, to aid them in obtaining an education in spiritual things.

269

Being Alive Unto God, September 11

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess alsobefore my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before

men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.Matthew 10:32, 33.

How is it? Are we confessing Christ in our daily life? Do we confess Him[234]in our dress, adorning ourselves with plain and modest apparel? Is our adorningthat of the meek and quiet spirit which is of so great price in the sight of God?Are we seeking to advance the cause of the Master? Is the line of demarcationbetween you and the world distinct, or are you seeking to follow the fashions ofthis degenerate age? Is there no difference between you and the worldling? Doesthe same spirit work in you that works in the children of disobedience?

If we are Christians, we shall follow Christ, even though the path in which weare to walk cuts right across our natural inclinations. There is no use in telling youthat you must not wear this or that, for if the love of these vain things is in yourheart, your laying off your adornments will only be like cutting the foliage offa tree. The inclinations of the natural heart would again assert themselves. Youmust have a conscience of your own.

O, did we remember that Christ became poor, that we through His povertymight become rich, would we not seek to honor His name, and advance His cause?We are to abide in Him as the branch abides in the vine. Jesus says, “I am the vine,ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forthmuch fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.... Herein is my Father glorified,that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:5-8).

If we fulfilled this command of our Lord, there would be a different state ofaffairs in our churches, and we should know what it is to have the deep movings ofthe Spirit of God. What we want is to have the ax laid at the root of the tree. Wewant to be dead to the world, dead to self, and alive unto God. Our life must behis with Christ in God, that when He shall appear, we also may appear with Himin glory. We need to come close to Christ, that men may know that we have beenwith Christ and learned of Him.... Keep your eye fixed upon Christ. With humilityof mind seek for a nearness to God. In words, in conduct, in life, confess Christ.

270

The Compassionate Christian, September 12

The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. John 14:30.

In all His habits of life, the Saviour gave an example of what God designs Hischurch on earth to be. Tell this to the people. Christ desires to present His churchbefore the Father without spot or blemish.

From His earliest years the Saviour’s life was one of poverty. His childhooddays were spent in toil. Working at the carpenter’s bench, bearing the burdens thatcame to Him as a member of the family, He often became weary. He lived in acorrupt age. Yet He was uncorrupted by the evil that surrounded Him, uninfluenced [235]by the characters of those who were artificial and wicked. In the open fields andamid the scenes of nature He found rest from toil and food for spiritual life.Looking beneath the surface, He gathered knowledge from the mysteries of naturethat filled Him with peace and joy.

During the years of His public ministry, the Saviour was continually watchedby crafty and hypocritical men. Spies were continually upon His track to catchsomething from His lips which they could use to create prejudice against Him.Again and again they tried to make Him appear guilty of wrong. There wereoccasions when they laid traps for Him by presenting to Him questions, theanswers to which they hoped to use to cause His condemnation by the people. Butat every attempt they were compelled to retire from the field confounded; theiractions were revealed in their true light by the answers of Christ. The Saviour’sdiscourses presented a power of truth to the multitudes who listened. Even themen who were sent to spy upon His actions were forced to return with the reportto those who sent them, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46)....

Let your conversation be with grace, for Christ is listening to the words youspeak. Let compassion for one another be blended with all you say, then you willreveal the character of Christ. The manners of Christ were gentle and unassuming.As His followers we are to partake of His nature. We need to be daily learnersof the great Teacher, that the atmosphere surrounding the soul may be filled withspiritual life.

271

Unreserved Surrender, September 13

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth inme: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of

God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20.

God will accept nothing less than unreserved surrender. Half-hearted, sinfulChristians can never enter heaven. There they would find no happiness; for theyknow nothing of the high, holy principles that govern the members of the royalfamily.

The true Christian keeps the windows of the soul open heavenward. He livesin fellowship with Christ. His will is conformed to the will of Christ. His highestdesire is to become more and more Christlike....

Earnestly and untiringly we are to strive to reach God’s ideal for us. Not as apenance are we to do this, but as the only means of gaining true happiness. Theonly way to gain peace and joy is to have a living connection with Him who gaveHis life for us, who died that we might live, and who lives to unite His power with[236]the efforts of those who are striving to overcome.

Holiness is constant agreement with God. Shall we not strive to be that whichChrist so greatly desires us to be—Christians in deed and in truth—that the worldmay see in our lives a revelation of the saving power of truth? This world isour preparatory school. While here we shall meet with trials and difficulties.Continually the enemy of God will seek to draw us away from our allegiance. Butwhile we cleave to Him who gave Himself for us, we are safe.

The whole world was gathered into the embrace of Christ. He died on thecross to destroy him who had the power of death, and to take away the sin of everybelieving soul. He calls upon us to offer ourselves on the altar of service, a living,consuming sacrifice. We are to make an unreserved consecration to God of all thatwe have and are.

In this lower school of earth we are to learn the lessons that will prepare usto enter the higher school, where our education will continue under the personalinstruction of Christ. Then He will open to us the meaning of His Word. Shall wenot, in the few days of probation remaining to us, act like men and women whoare seeking for life in the kingdom of God, even an eternity of bliss.

272

Without Spot, September 14

Even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ... that hemight present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle,

or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.Ephesians 5:25-27.

We bear the name of Christian. Let us be true to this name. To be a Christianmeans to be Christlike. It means to follow Christ in self-denial, bearing aloft Hisbanner of love, honoring Him by unselfish words and deeds. In the life of the trueChristian there is nothing of self—self is dead. There was no selfishness in thelife that Christ lived while on this earth. Bearing our nature, He lived a life whollydevoted to the good of others....

In word and deed Christ’s followers are to be pure and true. In this world—aworld of iniquity and corruption—Christians are to reveal the attributes of Christ.All they do and say is to be free from selfishness. Christ desires to present themto the Father “without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing,” purified through Hisgrace, bearing His likeness.

In His great love, Christ surrendered Himself for us. He gave Himself for us tomeet the necessities of the striving, struggling soul. We are to surrender ourselves [237]to Him. When this surrender is entire, Christ can finish the work He began for usby the surrender of Himself. Then He can bring to us complete restoration.

Christ gave Himself for the redemption of the race, that all who believe in Himmay have everlasting life. Those who appreciate this great sacrifice receive fromthe Saviour that most precious of all gifts—a clean heart. They gain an experiencethat is more valuable than gold or silver or precious stones. They sit together inheavenly places in Christ, enjoying in communion with Him the joy and peacethat He alone can give. They love Him with heart and mind and soul and strength,realizing that they are His blood-bought heritage. Their spiritual eyesight is notdimmed by worldly policy or worldly aims. They are one with Christ as He is onewith the Father.

Think you not that Christ values those who live wholly for Him? Think you notthat He visits those who, like the beloved John, are for His sake in hard and tryingplaces? He finds His faithful ones, and holds communion with them, encouragingand strengthening them.

273

Truth Will Triumph, September 15

Not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but bymanifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience

in the sight of God. 2 Corinthians 4:2.

There is to be no undermining of the fundamental truths that the Lord has sub-mitted by many miraculous evidences. A voice is to be heard in clear affirmationof the truth, in contradiction to the skepticism and fallacies that have been comingin from the enemy of truth. Reformations will take place, and the working out ofthe principles of divine truth will reveal growth in grace, for the divine agenciesare efficient to enlighten and sanctify the human understanding.

The truth as it is in Jesus, as it was proclaimed by Him when He was en-shrouded by the billowy cloud, is verity and truth in this our day, and will justas surely renovate the mind of the receiver as it has renovated minds in the past.Christ has declared, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they bepersuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

As a people, we must prepare the way of the Lord, under the overrulingguidance of the Holy Spirit, for the spread of the gospel in its purity. The streamof living water is to deepen and widen in its course. In all fields, nigh and afar off,men will be called from the plow and from the more common commercial businessvocations that largely occupy the mind, and will become educated in connection[238]with men who have had experience—men who understand the truth. Throughmost wonderful workings of God, mountains of difficulty will be removed andcast into the sea....

Those who preach the truth will strive to demonstrate the truth by a well-ordered life and godly conversation. And as they do this, they will becomepowerful in advocating the truth and in giving it the sure application that God hasgiven it....

The call is to go forth, “Son, go labor today in My vineyard.” As this call isobeyed, the message that means so much to the dwellers on the earth, will be heardand understood. Men will know what is truth. Onward, and still onward, will thework advance. And marked events of Providence will be seen and recognized, injudgments and in blessings. The truth will bear away the victory.

274

Matchless Love, September 16

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may beone, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be madeperfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and

hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. John 17:22, 23.

O what love, what matchless love! Fallen human beings may become soclosely united with Christ that they are glorified with Him. On this earth they havefollowed in His footsteps, laboring as He labored for the souls for whom He died,and when He comes to claim His own, they enter in to His joy, sitting with Him atHis table in His kingdom. “Where I am,” He says, “there shall also my servantbe” (John 12:26)....

What a wonderful thought it is that we, poor, fallen sinners, can become onewith Christ, partakers of His divine nature, through His grace refined, purified,glorified. We may overcome, and sit down with ... Christ. We are to be conformedto His image. He loves, and He will help us. We are to be passive in His hands.

We have His promise. We hold the title deeds to real estate in the kingdom ofglory. Never were title deeds drawn up more strictly according to law, or signedmore legibly, than those that give God’s people a right to the heavenly mansions.“Let not your heart be troubled,” Christ says: “ye believe in God, believe also inme. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have toldyou. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I willcome again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”(chap. 14:1-3).... [239]

All who will may come under the covenant promise. Precious is the pricepaid for our redemption—the blood of the only begotten Son of God. Christwas tried by the sharp proving of affliction. His human nature was tried to theuttermost. He bore the death penalty of man’s transgression. He became thesinner’s substitute and surety. He is able to show the fruit of His sufferings anddeath, in His resurrection from the dead. From the rent sepulcher of Joseph ringsforth the proclamation, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe inMe, and do the works of righteousness that I do, are justified, sanctified, madewhite and tried. They have obtained godliness and eternal life.”

275

An Ever Present Help, September 17

The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth themthat trust in him. Nahum 1:7.

We have rich promises in the Word of God, if we only believe and trust inHim. We are in danger of trusting to our own poor human efforts, and not puttingour trust in God. Everyone who has any part to act in this great preparation of thework of God for these last days should come close to God. When God sends outHis workers to do a special errand for Him, He has pledged Himself to be one withthem, if they will be one with God. But if they draw apart from God, and try to dothis work in their own strength, they will find difficulties and discouragements atevery step. Here we have the promise that in working for the Lord He is by ourright hand to help us and work with us.

It would be the greatest folly in the world for any of us to take any of the creditto ourselves for any success we may have. The more humbly we walk with God,the more will He manifest Himself to us to help us. The Lord never designed tosend out His servants to do a work for Him with all the opposition of Satan andevil angels against them unless He gives them divine help. The reason that wedo not have greater success in the work is because we depend on our own effortsrather than upon the help God will give us. It is our privilege to feel our weakness,our unworthiness, and then claim the help that God has provided for us. We cantake the Word in our distress, and while we feel the burden of souls upon us, andsay, “Here, Lord, Thou hast promised, and I believe Thy word.”

We must learn to go to our heavenly Father just as a child goes to its earthlyparents. He says, “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, willhe give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then,being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shallyour Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew[240]7:9-11)....

While every one of God’s workmen should cultivate his powers to the best ofhis ability, yet he should not trust in these powers. Make of yourselves everythingthat it is possible for you to make and then trust the rest to God.

276

The Divine Substitute, September 18

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might bemade the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21.

“He saved others; himself he cannot save” (Mark 15:31). It is because Christwould not save Himself that the sinner has any hope of pardon or favor with God.If, in His undertaking to save the sinner, Christ had failed or become discouraged,the last hope of every son and daughter of Adam would have been at an end.The entire life of Christ was one of self-denial and self-sacrifice; and the reasonthat there are so few stalwart Christians is because of their self-indulgence andself-pleasing in the place of self-denial and self-sacrifice.

Oh, what soul hunger and longing had Christ to save that which was lost! Thebody crucified upon the cross did not detract from His divinity, His power of Godto save through the human sacrifice, all who would accept His righteousness. Indying upon the cross, He transferred the guilt from the person of the transgressorto that of the divine Substitute through faith in Him as his personal Redeemer.The sins of a guilty world, which in figure are represented as “red as crimson,”were imputed to the divine Surety...

Divinity was doing its work while humanity was suffering from the hatred andrevenge of a God-hating people, because Christ had acknowledged Himself theSon of God. He alone could respond to the poor suffering thief. He alone was freeto undertake the suretyship of the guilty criminal. The dying Redeemer saw himto be far less guilty than the ones who had condemned Him to death, far less guiltythan the priests, the scribes, and rulers who had taken an active part in demandingthe death of the Son of God.

What a faith had that dying thief upon the cross! He accepted Christ whenapparently it was an utter impossibility that He should be the Son of God, theRedeemer of the world. In the prayer of the poor thief, there was a note differentfrom that which was sounding on every side; it was a note of faith, and it reachedto Christ. The faith of the dying man in Him was as sweetest music in the earsof Christ. The glad note of redemption and salvation was heard amid His dying [241]agonies. God was glorified in and through His Son.

277

Cultivate Tenderness In The Home, September 19

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charityshall cover the multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8.

The young man who came to Jesus asked what he should do that he mightinherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, and enumeratedseveral of the precepts of the law. The young man said, “All these things haveI kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” (Matthew 19:20). The first fourcommandments enjoin upon man the duty of loving God supremely and the lastsix present the requirement of loving our neighbors as ourselves. How many aretruly, sincerely, and wholeheartedly doing this?

The Lord is coming in a little while, and are we performing the duties thatresult from righteousness? Love is the basis of godliness. No man has love to God,no matter what his profession may be, unless he has unselfish love for his brother.As we love God because He first loved us, we shall love all for whom Christ died.We shall not feel like letting the soul who is in the greatest peril, and in the greatestneed, go unwarned, unlabored for, and uncared for. We shall not feel like holdingthe erring off, and being critical and exacting, or letting them alone to plunge intofurther unhappiness and discouragement, and to fall on Satan’s battleground, forGod will deal with us as He deals with our brethren or the younger members ofthe Lord’s family.

Cultivate tenderness of heart; surround yourselves in your home life withthe atmosphere of love. But the spirit that has largely pervaded the church is anoffense to God. Everyone who has been free to condemn, to dishearten, and todiscourage, who has failed to give tender kindness, sympathy, and compassion tothe tempted and the tried, will in his own experience be brought over the groundwhich others have passed over, and suffered with their hardheartedness, and willfeel what others have suffered because of his want of sympathy, until he shallabhor his hardness of heart and open the door for Jesus to come in.

The converting power of God must come to every soul who has any connectionwith the work and cause of God that each one may be filled with the love andcompassion of Christ or many will never see the kingdom of heaven.[242]

278

Take Hold Of Divine Strength, September 20

Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid helpupon one that is mighty. Psalm 89:19.

The Lord loves you. The Lord is of tender compassion. His promise is, “Drawnigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8). When the enemy comes inlike a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up for you a standard against him. Bearin mind that Jesus Christ is your hope. In the sad, discouraging things that shallcome to you at any time, Christ says to you, “Let him take hold of my strength,that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me” (Isaiah 27:5).

Your work is to take hold of the strength that is as firm as is the eternal throne.Believe in God. Trust in Him. Be cheerful under all circumstances. Althoughyou may have trials, know that Christ suffered these afflicting things in behalf ofHis heritage. Nothing is as dear to the Lord as His church. The Lord looks atthe heart. He knows who are His. The Lord will test and prove every soul thatlives. “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall dowickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand”(Daniel 12:10)....

Let those who love God and are doers of His word sing praise and thanksgivingrather than speak words of accusing and faultfinding and murmuring. The Lordwill bless those who make for peace....

Trust in the Lord. Let not the feelings, the speeches, or the attitude of anyhuman agent depress you. Be careful that in words or act you do not give others anyopportunity to obtain the advantage in hurting you. Keep looking unto Jesus. Heis your strength. By beholding Jesus you will become changed into His likeness.He will be the health of your countenance and your God....

The church needs you, and you need to soften and subdue your own feelingsfor Christ’s sake. He wants you to have His Holy Spirit to work you. Thenyou may impart life and comfort to the church. Let your words be well chosenthat you may be a real blessing to the church. Do not afflict your souls over theinconsistencies of others. Take yourselves in hand, and be consistent in all things. [243]

279

In The World, But Not Of It, September 21

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the worldis enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the

enemy of God. James 4:4.

The great day of the Lord is near at hand. When Christ appears in the cloudsof heaven, those who have not sought Him with all the heart, those who haveallowed themselves to be deceived, will surely perish. Our only safety is to befound through repentance and conversion, and the blotting out of sins. Those whowill now seek the Lord earnestly, humbling their hearts before Him, and forsakingtheir sins, will, through the sanctification of the truth, be fitted to unite with themembers of the royal family, and will see the King in His beauty....

Whatever his educational attainments, only he who realizes his accountabilityto God, and who is led by the Holy Spirit, can be an effectual teacher, or besuccessful in winning to God those who are brought under his influence. Shallthose who do not heed the divine counsel be acknowledged as leaders in the Lord’sinstitutions?—God forbid. How can we regard as safe guides those who manifest aspirit of unbelief, and who, in words and character, fail of revealing true godliness?

“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children[in learning the way of the Lord], ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven”(Matthew 18:3).

Self needs to be brought into submission to the yoke of Christ. The greatTeacher invites all to learn of Him.... “The Son of man is come to save that whichwas lost” (verse 11). But those who desire to be saved must be willing to be savedin the Lord’s appointed way, and not in a way of their own choosing. The freegrace of God is man’s only hope. God is in earnest with every one of us....

We are called to be the Lord’s special people in a much higher sense thanmany have realized. The world lies in wickedness, and God’s people are to comeout of the world, and be separate. They are to be free from worldly customs andworldly habits. They are not to accord with worldly sentiments, but are to standout distinct, as the Lord’s peculiar people, earnest in all their service. They are tohave no fellowship with the works of darkness.[244]

280

Divine Grace, Our Greatest Need, September 22

Though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of. 1 Corinthians 9:16.

Genuine conversion brings us daily into communion with God. There will betemptations to meet, and a strong undercurrent drawing us from God to our formerstate of indifference and sinful forgetfulness of God. No human heart can remainstrong without divine grace. No man can remain converted unless he takes care ofhimself and the Master has a care for him. Unless the heart holds fast to God, andGod holds fast to him, he will become self-confident and exalted and will surelystumble and fall. The power of God through faith was Paul’s dependence. “I live;yet not I,” he exclaims in his humility, “but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20).“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: butI keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when Ihave preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:26, 27).

Paul was in such constant dread, lest his evil propensities should get the betterof him, that he was constantly battling, with firm resistance, unruly appetites andpassions. If the great apostle felt like trembling in view of his weakness, whohas a right to feel self-confident and boastful? The moment we begin to feelself-sufficient and confident then we are in danger of a disgraceful failure.

Our only sure defense against besetting sins is prayer, daily and hourly prayer.Not one day zealous and the next careless, but through watchfulness and earnest-ness becoming vitalized by intercourse with God. Prayer is necessary, and weshould not wait for feeling, but pray, earnestly pray, whether we feel like it or not.Heaven is open to our prayers. Prayer is the channel that conducts our gratitudeand yearnings of soul for the divine blessing to the throne of God, to be returned tous in refreshing showers of divine grace. With very many, this channel is allowedto freeze up, and then the connection with heaven is interrupted.... Oh, that wewould spend more time upon our knees and less time in planning for ourselvesand in thinking we may do some great thing. [245]

281

The Banquet Of God’s Word, September 23

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: ... and the bread thatI will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:51.

The only safety for any of us is to plant our feet upon the Word of God andstudy the Scriptures, making God’s Word our constant meditation. Tell the peopleto take no man’s word regarding the Testimonies, but to read them and study themfor themselves, and then they will know that they are in harmony with the truth.The Word of God is the truth. Of a good man the psalmist declares, “His delight isin the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2).He who puts mind and heart into this work gains a solid, valuable experience.The Holy Spirit is in the Word of God. Here is the living, undying element sodistinctly represented in the sixth chapter of John....

Let us believe the Word. He who thus eats the bread of heaven is nourishedevery day and will know what these words mean, “Needeth not that any man teachyou.” We have lessons pure from the lips of Him who owns us, who has bought uswith the price of His own blood. The precious Word of God is a solid foundationupon which to build. When men come to you with their suppositions, tell themthat the Great Teacher has left you His Word, which is of incalculable value, thatHe has sent a Comforter in His own name, even the Holy Ghost. “He shall teachyou all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have saidunto you” (John 14:26)....

Here is presented before us a rich banquet, of which all who believe in Christas a personal Saviour may eat. He is the Tree of life to all who continue to feed onHim....

All who study these precious utterances may have strong consolation. If theywill feed upon the banquet of God’s Word, they will gain an experience of thehighest value. They will see that in comparison with the word of God, the word ofman is as chaff to the wheat.

I am instructed by the Word of God that His promises are for me and for everychild of God. The banquet is spread before us; we are invited to eat the Word ofGod, which will strengthen spiritual muscle and sinew.[246]

282

The Final Battle, September 24

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth hisgarments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Revelation 16:15.

A terrible contest is before us. We are nearing the battle of the great day ofGod Almighty. That which has been held in control is to be let loose. The angelof mercy is folding its wings, preparing to step down from the golden throne andleave the world to the control of Satan, the king it has chosen, a murderer and adestroyer from the beginning.

The principalities and powers of earth are in bitter revolt against the God ofheaven. They are filled with hatred against all who serve Him, and soon, verysoon, is to be fought the last great battle between good and evil. The earth is to bethe battlefield—the scene of the final contest and the final victory. Here, wherefor so long Satan has led men against God, rebellion is to be forever suppressed.

Christ came to this earth in human form that He might stand as the Captain ofour salvation, so that we should not be overcome by Satan’s power. And whenthe enemy has seemed to be gaining a signal victory over righteousness, God hasbeen working in mercy and power to counteract his designs.

Determined to efface the image of God in man, Satan works with an intensityof effort to hide God from view. Not openly does he work, but secretly, minglingthe human and the divine, the spurious and the genuine, so seeking to bringconfusion and distress. But in proportionate power divine mercy is revealed tocounteract this wicked working, and bring to light the enemy’s hidden purposes.

God’s people are to hear a bold, decided testimony for the truth, unfolding thepurposes of God by the witness of pen and voice. In place after place they are toproclaim the message of God’s Word, arousing men and women to comprehendthe truth....

There is a reality in sound doctrine. It is not as a vapor, which passes away.Light is to shine forth from the Word of God. God calls upon His people to drawnear to Him. Let no one interpose between Him and His people. Christ is knockingat the door of the heart, seeking for entrance. Will you let Him in? [247]

283

Things Wrought By Prayer, September 25

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Hebrews 10:22.

There can be no true prayer without true faith. “Without faith it is impossibleto please him” (Hebrews 11:6). Prayer and faith are the arms by which the soulhangs upon the neck of infinite love, and grasps the hand of infinite power. Goddoes not recognize dumb children, as far as experience in His truth is concerned.Faith is an active, working power. The newborn faith in Christ is revealed byprayer and praise. Prayer is a relief and a comfort to the troubled soul. The sincere,humble suppliant at the throne of grace may know that he is communing with God,through the divinely appointed means, and that it is his privilege to understandwhat God is to the believing soul. We must have a realization of our needs. Wemust hunger and thirst after life in Christ and through Christ. Then we shall cometo Him in humility and sincerity, and He will give us the faith that works by loveand purifies the soul....

Christ gave Himself willingly and cheerfully to the carrying out the will of God.“He ... became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).In view of all that He has done, should we feel it a hardship to deny ourselves?Shall we draw back from being partakers of Christ’s sufferings? His death oughtto stir every fiber of our beings, making us willing to consecrate to His work allthat we have and are.

As we think of what He has done for us, our hearts should be filled withgratitude and love, and we should renounce all selfishness and sin. What dutycould the heart refuse to perform, under the constraining influence of the loveof God and Christ? “I am crucified with Christ,” the apostle Paul declared:“nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now livein the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himselffor me” (Galatians 2:20).

Let us relate ourselves to God in self-denying, self-sacrificing obedience. Faithin Christ always leads to willing, cheerful obedience. He died to redeem us fromall iniquity, and to purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.There is to be perfect conformity, in thought, word, and deed, to the will of God.Heaven is only for those who have purified their souls through obedience to thetruth.[248]

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Present Advantages And Future Benefits, September 26

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joythat was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set

down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2.

We should ever cherish feelings of gratitude to those who have shown us favorsin times of need. But these feelings that are so readily called into exercise bythe kindness and disinterestedness of our friends should respond to the love andcompassion of our benevolent heavenly Friend.... The friendship expressed bynearest and dearest relatives and friends is so far surpassed by the revelation ofJesus Christ that the former is dumb and expressionless when compared withthe latter. It is natural that the heart should entertain sentiments of the warmestaffection toward those who have done or suffered something for us.

Let me lead you to the scene of the crucifixion and show you the Son of Goddying in your stead. Will not the spectacle of the cross of Christ awaken everyfeeling of gratitude? Will it not sweep away the coldness and indifference whichsteels the senses to the great sacrifice made in our behalf? ...

Satan, the adversary of souls, is constantly at work with his devices andenchantments, stealing away the senses and deadening the feelings to our highestinterest. To all the little matters of life the affections are given free play, but ineternal interest the affections are trammeled, bound as by magical cords....

There are so many who endure privation and pursue at considerable sacrifice acourse which promises advantages in the future. They forego present comfort fora future inducement as an equivalent, but here Jesus presents eternal life as thereward of obedience, and if paltry things of earthly gain will be sacrificed for somefuture good, how much more should ease, pleasure, and present worldly advantagesbe sacrificed for the incomparable riches and glory of the future immortal life. Letnot the sorcery of earthly enchantments steal the affections from God and hardenthe heart to eternal interest. Look at the things that are unseen. Enshrine Jesus inthe heart. Love Him with your whole soul. [249]

285

The Holy Spirit—The Gift Of Gifts, September 27

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and becameobedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:8.

In proportion to Christ’s humiliation and suffering is His exaltation. He couldhave become the Saviour, the Redeemer, only by first being the Sacrifice. What amystery there is in the godliness of Christ. Having magnified the law and made ithonorable by accepting its conditions in saving a world from ruin, Christ hastenedto heaven to perfect His work, and to accomplish His mission by sending the HolySpirit to His disciples. Thus He would assure His believing ones that He had notforgotten them, though now in the presence of God, where there is fullness of joyforevermore.

The Holy Spirit was to descend on those in this world who loved Christ. Bythis they would be qualified, in and through the glorification of their Head, toreceive every endowment necessary for the fulfilling of their mission. The Life-giver held in His hands, not only the keys of death, but a whole heaven of richblessings. All power in heaven and earth was given to Him, and having taken Hisplace in the heavenly courts, He could dispense these blessings to all who receiveHim.

Christ has said to His disciples, “It is expedient for you that I go away: for ifI go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will sendhim unto you” (John 16:7). This was the gift of gifts. The Holy Spirit was sent asthe most priceless treasure man could receive. The church was baptized with theSpirit’s power. The disciples were fitted to go forth and proclaim Christ, first inJerusalem, where the shameful work of dishonoring the rightful King had beendone, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth....

How full and free are the blessings to be bestowed on all who come to God inthe name of His Son. If they will observe the conditions laid down in His Word,He will open to them the windows of heaven, and pour them down a blessingthat there will not be room enough to receive it.... If God’s people will sanctifythemselves by obedience to His precepts, the Lord will work in their midst. Hewill renew humble, contrite souls, making their characters pure and holy.[250]

286

The Lord’s Philosophy, September 28

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, itis because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20.

The Lord’s philosophy, plainly outlined in His Word, is to be our rule of life.The entire being is to be under the control of the One who knows the end fromthe beginning. The Bible, and the Bible only is to be our guide. We must followand obey the life-giving principles of heaven, not only for our inclinations. Thewisdom and the power of God, working upon the receptive heart, brings mind andcharacter into harmony with the laws and rules of heaven. Individually we musthave the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in order to communicate to the world thegreat facts of truth and righteousness....

We are bidden to sound an alarm to the people. The watchmen must not failnow. They must watch unto prayer, that they may have a clear perception of theirobligation to Him who, though the only begotten Son of God, came to our worldto lead men and women away from the guidance of Satan.

We are to instruct and guide souls to look to Christ’s example, to realize theirobligation to Him, whose they are by creation and by redemption. He is the ownerof every man and woman and child who comes into the world. This He becameby paying the redemption price. If fallen human beings will consent to becomesons and daughters of God in willing obedience, they will become one with Christ.The Saviour has bought them by giving His life to pay the penalty of sin.... Thosewho are truly converted will reveal the saving grace of Christ by laboring for thesesouls blinded by Satan. In their own lives God’s workers are to show forth thepower of truth and righteousness. The world is soon to meet the great Lawgiverover His broken law. Those only can hope for pardon who turn from transgressionto obedience.

We are to raise the banner on which is inscribed, “The commandments of Godand the faith of Jesus.” This is the great issue. Let it not be put out of sight. Wemust strive to arouse church members and those who make no profession, to seeand obey the claims of the law of heaven. We are to magnify this law and make ithonorable. We are to arouse those who are sunk in spiritual slumber. [251]

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When Truth Controls The Life, September 29

He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light oflife. John 8:12.

The Lord Jesus took upon Him the form of sinful man, clothing His divinitywith humanity. But He was holy, even as God is holy. If He had not been withoutspot or stain of sin, He could not have been the Saviour of mankind. He wasa Sinbearer, needing no atonement. One with God in purity and holiness ofcharacter, He could make a propitiation for the sins of the whole world.

Christ is the light of the world. Through Him light is shining amid the moraldarkness. If He were not light, the darkness would not be apparent, because lightreveals darkness. The clearer the light, the more manifest the contrast betweenlight and darkness. Let the light be removed, and there is nought but darkness.

Christ has declared our position. “He that followeth me shall not walk indarkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). He is Himself the brightand morning Star. He is the Sun of Righteousness, the brightness of His Father’sglory. He is the “true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world”(chap. 1:9). A Physician, a Healer, He came to restore the moral image of Godthat was lost by transgression.

When Christ abides in the soul by faith, He makes the one who loves Him alllight in the Lord. It is true that many who say they believe the truth have only anominal faith. They are not doers of the Word. They profess to believe, but theirprofession will not convert them....

When Christ dwells in the heart, His presence is apparent. Good and pleasantwords and actions reveal the Spirit of Christ. Sweetness of temper is manifested.There is no angry passion, no obstinacy, no evil-surmising. There is no hatred inthe heart, because . . ideas and methods ... are not accepted and appreciated byothers....

When the truth controls the life, there is purity and freedom from sin. Theglory, the fullness, the completeness of the gospel plan is fulfilled in the life. Thelight of truth irradiates the soul temple. The understanding takes hold of Christ.[252]

288

Walk In The Footsteps Of Jesus, September 30

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; toevery man according to his several ability. Matthew 25:15.

Study the instruction found in Matthew 25:14-46. Compare this instructionwith your life record. Let every man put away his boasting.... Let us walk in thefootsteps of Christ in all the humility of true faith. Let us put away all self-trust,committing ourselves, day by day and hour by hour, to the Saviour, constantlyreceiving and imparting His grace. I beg those who profess to believe in Christto walk humbly before God. Pride and self-exaltation are an offense to Him. “Ifany man will come after me,” Christ declares, “let him deny himself, and take uphis cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Those only who obey this word willHe recognize as His believing ones. “As many as received him, to them gave hepower to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: whichwere born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but ofGod” (John 1:12, 13).

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (verse 14). O wonderfulcondescension! The Prince of heaven, the Commander of the heavenly hosts,stepped down from His high position, laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown,and clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might become the divine Teacherof all classes of men, and live before human beings a life free from all selfishnessand sin, setting them an example of what, through His grace, they may become.

“The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, theglory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (verse 14).Praise God for this wonderful statement. The possibilities that it presents seemalmost too great for us to grasp, and put to shame our weakness and our unbelief.I praise God that I can see my Saviour by faith. My soul grasps the great gift.Our only hope in this life is to reach forth the hand of faith, and grasp the handoutstretched to save. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of theworld” (verse 29). If we would look away from self to Jesus, making Him ourGuide, the world would see in our churches a power that it does not now see. [253]

289

October—The Upward Look

The Need For A Reformation, October 1

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye haveyour fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is

death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.Romans 6:22, 23.

Paul felt that the Lord’s requirements must be obeyed, His judgments avoided.Like Paul, we must make every effort to obtain the crown of life, which bringseternal honor to every victor. We must not be content to live useless lives.

What is humility? That sense of sin and unworthiness which leads to repen-tance. But we must be assured of the malignity of a disease before we feel ourneed of a cure. Those who do not realize the sinfulness of sin are not able toappreciate the value of the atonement and the necessity of being cleansed from allsin. The sinner measures himself by himself and by those who like himself aresinners. He does not look at the purity and holiness of Christ. But when the law ofGod brings conviction to his heart, he says with Paul, “I was alive without the lawonce: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died” (Romans 7:9)....

God created man for His glory. He will not, cannot endure the presence of sinin His dominion. If there are in the church those who are willfully sinning againstGod, every possible means should be used to bring them to repentance. If this isnot done, God’s name is dishonored. He is too pure to look upon iniquity withfavor....

Adam’s sin would be regarded by the churches of today as a simple mistake,to be at once forgiven and no more thought of. But God’s standard is high andHis word immutable, and all selfish, covetous practices are an abomination in Hissight. The hearts of believers need to be purified, sanctified, refined, ennobled....

Look up, my brethren. Has the gospel lost its power to impress hearts? Isit because the regenerating influence of the Spirit of Christ has died away thathearts are not purified, sanctified, and prepared for the Holy Spirit? No; the Swordof the Spirit, the Word of the living God, is with us yet; but it must be wieldedwith earnestness. Let us use it as did God’s sanctified ones of old. By its living,quickening power it will cut its way to hearts....

The Lord calls for a reformation all through our ranks.... When the church isawakened, decided changes will be made. Men and women will be converted,and so filled will they be by the Spirit of God that they will pass from country tocountry, from city to city, proclaiming the message of truth. With hearts filledwith earnest love for souls, they will open their Bibles and present the Word.[254]

292

I Am A Child Of God, October 2

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if sobe that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Romans 8:17.

The influence of grace is to soften the heart, to refine and purify the feelings,giving a heaven-born delicacy and sense of propriety. A Christian cannot be self-exalted, for this is not Christlike. The world’s Redeemer, the sinner’s substituteand surety, says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I willgive you rest” (Matthew 11:28)...

But let us continually bear in mind that the meek and lowly Jesus has thespirit and the ambition of a conqueror. The vast dominions over which earthlypotentates hold sway form no adequate theater for the exercise of His grace, theexpression of His love, and the manifestation of His glory. He who loves the LordJesus Christ in truth and sincerity will love those whom Christ died to save, andwill eagerly embrace every opportunity to minister to Christ in the person of Hisdisciples.

We must look at our lives as sons and daughters of God, as laborers withJesus Christ, living for a noble purpose. We are representatives of Jesus Christ incharacter, and are to serve Him with our undivided affections. Not only will wereveal the fact that we love God, but will, in accordance with His holy character,live a pure, perfect life. We must live perfection, because in looking at Jesus wesee in Him the embodiment of perfection; and the great Center upon whom ourhope of eternal life and happiness is centered will lead us to unity and harmony....

The life we now live must be by faith in Jesus Christ. If we are Christ’sfollowers our lives will not be as pieced out by little cheap spasmodic actionsaccording to circumstances and surroundings—jerking actions, revealing feelingsto be our master, indulging in little frettings, envious faultfindings, jealousies, andselfish vanity. These put us all out of harmony with the harmonious life of JesusChrist, and we cannot be overcomers if we retain these defects....

When exposed to varied scenes in life, and words are spoken that are calculatedto cut and bruise the soul, speak to yourself: “I am a child of God, an heir withJesus Christ, a colaborer with God. I must not therefore have a cheap mind, easilyto take offense, always thinking of myself, for this will naturally produce aninharmonious character. It is unworthy of my noble calling. The heavenly Fatherhas given me my work to do; let me be worthy of the trust.” [255]

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Infallible Assurance, October 3

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; andthey that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Daniel 12:3.

Many, very many, will be terribly surprised when the Lord shall come suddenlyas a thief in the night. Let us watch and pray, lest coming suddenly He find ussleeping. My soul is deeply stirred as I consider how much we ought to dofor perishing souls. The prediction of Daniel, “Many shall run to and fro, andknowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4), is to be fulfilled in our giving ofthe warning message; many are to be enlightened regarding the sure word ofprophecy....

The salvation of souls should be our first consideration. I am troubled when Isee many rejoicing in temporal prosperity, for those who possess worldly treasureseldom seek earnestly to secure the heavenly. They are in danger of falling intotemptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown manin destruction....

We need a more firm reliance upon a “Thus saith the Lord.” If we have this,we shall not trust to feeling, and be ruled by feeling. God asks us to rest in Hislove. It is our privilege to know the Word of God as a sure and tried guide, aninfallible assurance. Let us work on the faith side of the question. Let us believeand trust, and talk faith and hope and courage. Let the praise of God be in ourhearts and on our lips oftener than it is. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me”(Psalm 50:23). Keep the mind stayed upon God, and know the love of Christ asthe Word of God reveals it. This Word is life. Talk of Christ; call others to beholdHim as your Redeemer.

It is our privilege to rest in an active, living faith in Christ as the Life-giver. Itis our privilege to comprehend with all saints, what is the length and depth andheight, and to know the love of God which passeth knowledge, and be filled withall the fullness of God. Let us contemplate Christ as the One in whom all fullnessdwells. Beholding Him as our personal Saviour, we shall appreciate the value ofHis saving grace. We should think about Jesus more than we do. We should let Hispraise be in our hearts. We should speak of the love that has been so abundantlyexpressed for us. We certainly have every reason to praise God with heart andsoul and voice, saying, I will praise the Lord for His great love wherewith He hathloved me....

Lift Him up, the Christ of Calvary; lift Him up, that the world may beholdHim. Talk of His goodness, sing of His love, and give Him the grateful thanks ofyour hearts.[256]

294

God’s Plans Are Perfect, October 4

By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country,dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of thesame promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose

builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:9, 10.

Jesus ascended to the Father as a representative of the human race, and Godwill bring those who reflect His image to behold and share with Him His glory.There are homes for the pilgrims of earth. There are robes for the righteous, withcrowns of glory and palms of victory. All that perplexed us in the providences ofGod will then be made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find anexplanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite mindsdiscovered only confusion and broken purposes, we shall see the most perfect andbeautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences thatseemed most trying and hard to bear. As we realize the tender care of Him whomakes all things work together for our good, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakableand full of glory.

Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of heaven. In the home of the redeemedthere will be no tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourning. “The inhabitantshall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven theiriniquity” (Isaiah 33:24). One rich tide of happiness will flow and deepen aseternity rolls on. Think of this; tell it to the children of suffering and sorrow, andbid them rejoice in hope.

The nearer we come to Jesus, the more clearly we behold the purity andgreatness of His character, the less we shall feel like exalting self. The contrastbetween our characters and His will lead to humiliation of soul and deep heartsearching. The more we love Jesus, the more entirely will self be humbled andforgotten....

He who is meek in spirit, he who is purest and most childlike, will be madestrong for the battle. He will be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the innerman. He who feels his weakness, and wrestles with God as did Jacob, and likethis servant of old cries, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me,” will goforth with the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. The atmosphere of heaven willsurround him. He will go about doing good. His influence will be a positive forcein favor of the religion of Christ....

Our God is a very present help in time of need. He is acquainted with the mostsecret thoughts of our hearts, with all the intents and purposes of our souls. Whenwe are in perplexity, even before we open to Him our distresses, He is makingarrangements for our deliverance. [257]

295

Christ Lived A Life Of Humble Obedience, October 5

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which hesuffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal

salvation unto all them that obey him. Hebrews 5:8, 9.

Christ came to our world, and lived in the home of a peasant. He wore thebest garments His parents could provide, but they were the humble garments ofthe peasants. He walked the rough paths, and climbed the steeps of the hillsidesand mountains. When He walked the streets He was apparently alone, for humaneyes did not behold His heavenly attendants. He learned the trade of a carpenter,that He might stamp all honest labor as honorable and ennobling to all who workwith an eye single to the glory of God....

Christ, the Lord of the whole earth, was a humble artisan. He was unrec-ognized, neglected, and despised. But He held His commission and authorityfrom the highest power, the Sovereign of heaven. Angels were His attendants, forChrist was doing His Father’s business just as much when toiling at the benchas a carpenter, as when working miracles for the multitude. But He concealedthe secret from the world. He attached no high titles to His name, to make Hisposition understood, but He lived the royal law of God. His work must begin inconsecrating the humble trade of the craftsmen who have toiled for their dailybread. Had Christ passed His life among the grand and the rich, the world oftoilers would have been deprived of the inspiration which the Lord intended theyshould have.

Meek and lowly was the life of Christ. He chose this life that He might helpthe human family. He did not take His place upon a throne as Commander ofthe whole earth. He laid aside His royal robe, He laid off His kingly crown, thatHe might be made one of the human family. He took not on Him the nature ofangels. His work was not the priestly office after the appointments of men. Itwas impossible for man to understand His exalted position, unless the Holy Spiritshould make it known. For our sake, He clothed His divinity with humanity, andstepped down from the royal throne. He resigned His position as Commander inthe heavenly courts, and for our sakes became poor, that we through His povertymight be made rich. Thus, He hid His glory under the guise of humanity, that Hemight touch humanity with His divine, transforming power....

Those to whom Christ has given a probation in which to form characters forthe mansions He has gone to prepare are to enter into His life example.[258]

296

The Ministry Of Angels, October 6

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he maysee. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and,

behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round aboutElisha. 2 Kings 6:17.

How few contemplate the unseen agencies. Men are acting their part eitherfor God or for Satan, the Prince of light, or the prince of darkness. All heaven isintensely interested in human beings who seem to be so full of activity, and yethave no thought for the unseen. Their thoughts are not on the Word of God and itsinstruction. If they would appropriate the Word of God, they would be astonishedthat there are agencies, good and evil, observing every word and deed. They arein every assembly for business transactions, in councils, and in meetings for theworship of God. There are more listeners in these public assemblies than canbe seen with the natural sight, and every man has his work to do. Those unseenagencies are co-laborers with God or with Satan, and they work more mightily andmore constantly than do men. Sometimes the heavenly intelligences draw asidethe curtain that hides the unseen world, that we may have our minds withdrawnfrom the hurry and rush, and consider that there are witnesses to all we do and saywhen we [are] engaged in business, or when we think ourselves alone.

The Lord would have our perceptions keen to understand that these mightyones who visit our world have borne an active part in all the work which we havecalled our own. These heavenly beings are ministering angels, and they frequentlydisguise themselves in the form of human beings. As strangers they converse withthose who are engaged in the work of God. In lonely places they have been thecompanions of the traveler in peril. In tempest-tossed ships angels in human formhave spoken words of encouragement to allay fear and inspire hope in the hour ofdanger, and the passengers have thought that it was one of their number to whomthey had never before spoken.

Many, under different circumstances, have listened to the voices of the in-habitants of other worlds. They have come to act a part in this life. They havespoken in assemblies, and opened before assemblies human histories, and havedone works which it was impossible for human agencies to do. Time and againhave they been the generals of armies. They have been sent forth to cleanse awaypestilence. They have eaten at the humble board of families. Often they haveappeared as weary travelers in need of shelter for the night.

We need to understand better than we do the work of these angel visitants. [259]

297

We May Overcome As Christ Overcame, October 7

[He] was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15.

Christ, at an infinite cost, by a painful process, mysterious to angels as well asto men, assumed humanity. Hiding His divinity, laying aside His glory, He wasborn a babe in Bethlehem. In human flesh He lived the law of God, that He mightcondemn sin in the flesh, and bear witness to heavenly intelligences that the lawwas ordained to life and to ensure the happiness, peace, and eternal good of allwho obey....

This is the mystery of godliness, that One equal with the Father should clotheHis divinity with humanity, and laying aside all the glory of His office as Com-mander in heaven, [should] descend step after step in the path of humiliation,enduring severe and still more severe abasement. Sinless and undefiled, He stoodin the judgment hall, to be tried, to have His case investigated and pronouncedupon by the very nation He had delivered from slavery. The Lord of glory wasrejected and condemned, yea, spat upon. With contempt for what they regarded asHis pretentious claims, men smote Him in the face....

Pilate pronounced Christ innocent, declaring that he found no fault in Him.Yet to please the Jews, he commanded Him to be scourged and then delivered Himup, bruised and bleeding, to suffer the cruel death of crucifixion. The Majesty ofheaven was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and amid scoffing and jeers, ridicule andfalse accusation, He was nailed to the cross. The crowd, in whose hearts humanityseemed to be dead, sought to aggravate the cruel sufferings of the Son of God bytheir revilings. But as a sheep before His shearers is dumb, so He opened not Hismouth. He was giving His life for the life of the world, that all who believed inHim should not perish....

Christ bore the sins of the whole world. He endured our punishment—thewrath of God against transgression. His trial involved the fierce temptation ofthinking that He was forsaken by God. His soul was tortured by the pressure of ahorror of great darkness.... He could not have been tempted in all points like asman is tempted had there been no possibility of His failing. He was a free agent,placed on probation, as was Adam and as is man. Unless there is a possibilityof yielding, temptation is no temptation. Temptation comes and is resisted whenman is powerfully influenced to do a wrong action, and knowing that he can do it,resists by faith, with a firm hold upon divine power.[260]

298

Our Christian Experience Must Be Animated, October 8

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thynakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou

mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore,and repent. Revelation 3:18, 19.

Our conscience must be purged from dead works to serve the living God.Sanctification means perfect love, perfect obedience, entire conformity to the willof God. If our lives are conformed to the life of Christ through the sanctificationof mind, soul, and body, our example will have a powerful influence on the world.We are not perfect, but it is our privilege to cut away from the entanglements ofself and sin, and go on unto perfection....

Great possibilities, high and holy attainments, are placed within the reachof all who have true faith. Shall we not anoint our eyes with eyesalve, that wemay discern the wondrous things here brought before us? Why do we not withpersevering earnestness, work out this prayer, advancing onward and upward,reaching the standard of holiness? We are laborers together with God, and wemust work in harmony with one another and with God, “for it is God whichworketh in ... [us] both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” ...

The Lord takes no pleasure in seeing us spiritually weak. “God, who com-manded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give thelight of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But wehave this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be ofGod, and not of us.” We have conflicts and trials to meet, but we need not fail orbe discouraged....

God can only be honored when we who profess to believe in Him are con-formed to His image. We are to represent to the world the beauty of holiness,and we shall never enter the gates of the city of God until we perfect a Christlikecharacter. If we, with trust in God, strive for sanctification, we shall receive it.Then as witnesses for Christ, we are to make known what the grace of God haswrought in us.

The greatest disquietude we can have is uncertainty. The acceptance of theblessings of God brings righteousness and peace. The fruit of righteousness isquietness and assurance forever. We must have simplicity and Godlike sincerity.We must have that wisdom which cometh from above. Our Christian experiencemust be animated by piety, and instinct with the divine life. [261]

299

Christlike Love Blends Heart With Heart, October 9

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing oneanother in love. Ephesians 4:12.

God is love. The love of the Father and the Son is an attribute of every believer.The Word of God is the channel through which divine love is communicated toman. God’s truth is the medium by which the intellect is reached. The Holy Spiritis given to the human agent who works in cooperation with divine agencies. Ittransforms mind and character, enabling man to endure as seeing Him who isinvisible. Perfect love can be enjoyed only through the belief of the truth and thereception of the Holy Spirit....

Christ prayed that His disciples might realize the importance of the love thatHe expressed by giving His life for the world. He desired them to understandsomething in regard to His infinite sacrifice. If they had more fully understoodHis self-sacrificing love, they would never have engaged in alienation and strife.

I urge all who claim to believe present truth to practice that truth. If they dothis, they will have a stronger and more powerful influence for good. The worldwill see that the love expressed by believers is the central and controlling principleof Christ’s followers. Christlike love blends heart with heart. The truth draws mentogether. It brings into harmony and unity all who have an earnest, living faithin the Saviour. Christ designs those who believe in Him to develop and becomestrong by association with one another. All who work unselfishly in the Master’sservice bear credentials to the world that God has sent His Son to this earth.

Although a company of Christians united in church capacity have not all thesame talents, yet it is the duty of everyone to work. Talents differ, but to everyman is given his work. All are dependent upon Christ in God. He is the gloriousHead of all grades and classes of people associated through faith in the Word ofGod. Bound together by a common belief in heavenly principles, they are alldependent on Him who is the Author and Finisher of their faith. He has createdthe principles that produce universal oneness, universal love. His followers shouldmeditate upon His love. They should not stop short of reaching the standard setbefore them. If the principles of Christianity are lived, they will produce universalharmony and perfect peace. When the heart is imbued with the Spirit of Christ,there is no quarreling, no seeking for the supremacy, no striving to be reigninglords.[262]

300

Things Thou Knowest Not, October 10

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mightythings, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3.

We do not always consider that the sanctification we so earnestly desire andfor which we pray so earnestly is brought about through the truth and, by theprovidence of God, in a manner we least expect. When we look for joy, beholdthere is sorrow. When we expect peace, we frequently have distrust and doubtbecause we find ourselves plunged into trials we cannot avoid. In these trials weare having the answers to our prayers. In order for us to be purified, the fire ofaffliction must kindle upon us, and our will must be brought into conformity tothe will of God. In order to be conformed to the image of our Saviour, we passthrough a most painful process of refining. The very ones that we regard the mostdear upon the earth may cause us the greatest sorrow and trial. They may viewus in the wrong light. They may think us in error, and that we are deceiving anddegrading ourselves because we follow the dictates of enlightened conscience inseeking for the truth as for hid treasures....

Our prayers for conformity to the image of Christ may not be answered exactlyas we desire. We may be tested and proved, for God sees it best to put us undera course of discipline which is essential for us before we are fit subjects for theblessing we crave. We should not become discouraged and give way to doubt, andthink that our prayers are not noticed. We should rely more securely upon Christand leave our case with God to answer our prayers in His own way. God has notpromised to bestow His blessings through the channels we have marked out. Godis too wise to err and too regardful of our good to allow us to choose for ourselves.

The plans of God are always the best, although we may not always discernthem. Perfection of Christian character can be obtained only through labor,conflict, and self-denial....

How inestimably precious are the gifts of God—the graces of His Spirit—and we shall not shrink from the trying, testing process, be it ever so painfulor humiliating to us. How easy would be the way to heaven if there were noself-denial or cross! How worldlings would rush in the way, and hypocrites wouldtravel in it without number! Thank God for the cross, the self-denial. The ignominyand shame our Saviour endured for us is none too humiliating for those saved bythe purchase of His blood. Heaven will indeed be cheap enough. [263]

301

The Word Of God Your Guide, October 11

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105.

If we would work wisely and intelligently, our human passions, our hereditaryand cultivated tendencies, must be brought under the control of a higher and morecommanding generalship than human ability....

“Cease to do evil; learn to do well.” This is the lesson everyone should learnday by day. The training due to one’s self comes first. The influence exerted bya life of strict integrity will be a continual education to others. Those who arerestrained and guided by the moral and religious principles plainly laid down inGod’s Word walk in accordance with the mind and will of God, who is too wiseto err and too good to do us harm.

If you would walk wisely, walk in the way of God’s commandments. TheWord of God you have in your keeping, right at hand. This Word is so plain thatnone need go astray unless they allow themselves to be led by their hereditary andcultivated tendencies to wrong. Your Redeemer met Satan’s treacherous advanceswith the words, “It is written,” and with the imperative command, “Get thee behindme, Satan.” I counsel you to receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which isable to save your soul. The Word of God is your haven. It is a tower of strength,into which you may run and be safe....

The earnest, sincere searcher for truth will not mistake truth for error. TheWord of God is the bread of life, of which all may partake and obtain eternallife. Error is falsehood and deception. Those who partake of it must suffer inconsequence, as did Adam and Eve in Eden. It is the privilege of all to search withprayerful, eager interest for the truth. Truth is the tree of life, the leaves of whichthe human family are to eat and live.

Those who try to interpret the Word according to their own ideas, who read itin accordance with their opinions, will never see the truth, and will die in theirsins. Those who eat of the forbidden tree accept Satan’s fallacies in the place of“Thus saith the Lord,” and unless they repent, they will never gain that life whichmeasures with the life of God. As did Adam and Eve, they exclude themselvesfrom the tree of life, the fruit of which perpetuates immortality....

We are living amid the solemnities of the judgment. Our souls should be filledwith awe, for we are in God’s presence continually. Each one must decide forhimself whether he will obey and live or disobey and perish.

To those who obey, the Word of God is the tree of life. It is the word ofsalvation, received unto eternal life.[264]

302

Christ Calls For Unity, October 12

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that theyalso may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

John 17:21.

We each need the help we can receive from other minds. God will work inother minds than ours. The various gifts given to different ones are to blend forthe “perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of thebody of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12)....

The Lord Jesus Christ will heal our infirmities and our weaknesses. He ownsus. We are His by creation and by redemption. We must all be united in Him.He is the only source of healing. All restoring power comes from Him. He hasopened a fountain “to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”He gives each one an invitation to come and be healed, and to drink of the waterof life. Let us not trust in ourselves, but in Jesus.

There will always be obstacles before us, but we are to follow our Leader, andmeet our difficulties unitedly, hand in hand. There is only one way to heaven. Wemust walk in the footsteps of Jesus, doing His works, even as He did the worksof His Father. We must study His ways, not man’s ways; we must obey His will,not our own. Walk carefully. Do not go ahead of Christ. Make no move withoutconsulting your Leader. Ask in humble prayer, and “ye shall receive.” He is theWay, the Truth, the Life.

Read and study carefully the prayer that Christ offered just before His trial,recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John. Follow its teachings, and you will bebrought into unity. Our only hope of reaching heaven is to be one with Christ, andthen, in and through Christ, we shall be one with one another. No one is called towalk alone. In Christ life and immortality are brought to light. He has opened theway to the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in Him, but He assigns to noone a path different to that which all must travel. He calls for unity, and unity wemust have. God asks us to sink self in Christ. For the natural man this is not easy.But through the power of the incarnation of Christ, God manifest in the flesh, thestrength of God is revealed in gentleness and beauty. To “as many as receivedhim, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.” By this power we mayovercome our evil tendencies and so modify our imperfect dispositions that thewill of God may be fulfilled in us. [265]

303

Are You Preparing For Heaven?, October 13

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart ofman, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1

Corinthians 2:9.

What a work is before us. We need greater faith in Christ and the Father, forthis we must certainly have, else we shall be counted with the unbelievers. We seegreat opportunities and a great amount of work to do. We want the sanctification ofthe Holy Spirit. We cannot afford to miss the mark of the prize of the high callingin Christ Jesus. The sanctification of the truth, confirming man’s steadfastness inthe faith, will constitute men laborers together with God.

United with the Source of all power, persevering in duty, enlarging the appre-hension of the love of God in Christ Jesus, they become one with Christ, until theyare complete with Christ in God.

The glories that await the faithful overcomer are beyond any description. TheLord will greatly honor and exalt His faithful ones. They shall grow like the cedar,and their comprehension will be certainly increasing. And at every advanced stageof knowledge their anticipation will fall far beneath the reality. “Eye hath notseen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things whichGod hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Our work now isto prepare for those mansions that God is preparing for those who love Him andkeep His commandments.... The Lord Jesus will enlarge every mind and heart forthe reception of the Holy Spirit....

Time is short. Let the little time you have be employed for your own presentand eternal good by active Christian service, doing all the good possible. Redeemthe time that has been lost; seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.Then you will have something to impart in good works, in cheerful, consecratedinfluence....

What preparation have you made for the future, eternal world? ... You wantsomething higher and better than you now have. You may exert a conscious andunconscious influence in right doing. God deserves something better from youas His subject than that which you have given Him. Carefully consider: Are youstanding under the banner of Prince Emmanuel, or under the black banner of theprince of darkness? There is an obligation resting upon you to return the influenceand money that is lent you of the Lord to advance His cause and glorify His name.

The Lord calls upon you, “My son, give me thine heart.”[266]

304

Christ Intercedes For You, October 14

We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne ofthe Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true

tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. Hebrews 8:1, 2.

The natural eye can never behold the comeliness and beauty of Christ. Theinward illumination of the Holy Spirit, revealing to the soul its true hopeless, help-less condition without the mercy and pardon of the Sin-bearer—the all-sufficiencyof Christ—can alone enable man to discern His infinite mercy, His immeasurablelove, benevolence, and glory.

No one ever came to our world on such an errand of grace, infinite compassion,and unspeakable love, as our Saviour; and none ever received such treatment atthe hands of fallen man. “Ye are not your own; ye are bought with a price” (see 1Corinthians 6:19, 20). We are Christ’s by creation, His by redemption. He is theonly sinless Being who endured suffering, shameful humiliation, and rejection inour behalf....

Then, how should those who become new creatures in Christ Jesus, savedby His merits, conduct themselves before the universe of heaven? Shall theycomplain? Shall they accuse one another? Would not a meek and submissive spiritbe more becoming? “Learn of me,” said the great Teacher, “for I am meek andlowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and myburden is light.” Shall we reveal this spirit in our characters? Shall we wear Hisyoke, and lift His burdens? ...

Could all see Christ before the throne, waiting for their prayers, waiting forthem to surrender their will, to cease their rebellion and come back to theirallegiance to God, in deep penitence they would pray the Father to forgive theirtransgression of His law, and forgive them for the influence they have exercisedin causing others to disregard the law of Jehovah. The confederacies of theenemy’s army are triumphing in their delay. Will they longer remain under thecondemnation of the law? Or, will they stand on the side of Christ, and with theirinfluence help the betrayed, rebellious race by their own experimental knowledge?Will they now become co-workers with Jesus Christ, who is making personalintercession for them before the Father? Angels are keeping back the destroyingagencies, for they have an intense interest for these rebellious sons, and they wantto help them to return to the fold in safety and peace, that they may finally beovercomers, and be saved, eternally saved with the family of God in heaven. [267]

305

God’s Hand Is On The Wheel, October 15

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.Ephesians 6:10.

The future is before us, and unforeseen events will surely take place, changingthe present aspect of things in the world. Lust and greed are striving for thesupremacy. Oppression and hatred will be exercised to destroy. Inspired by apower from beneath, Satan’s instrumentalities will work with intensity to carry outhis will. “The wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand;but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10). Every truly converted soul will puton the whole armor of God, and will bravely face the unseen foe. God’s servantswill realize the necessity of partaking of the divine nature....

Now is our time of peril. Our only safety is in walking in the footsteps ofChrist, and wearing His yoke. Troublous times are before us. In many instances,friends will become alienated. Without cause, men will become our enemies. Themotives of the people of God will be misinterpreted, not only by the world, but bytheir own brethren. The Lord’s servants will be put in hard places. A mountainwill be made out of a molehill to justify men in pursuing a selfish, unrighteouscourse.

The work that men have done faithfully will be disparaged and underrated, be-cause apparent prosperity did not attend their efforts. By misrepresentation, thesemen will be clothed in the dark vestments of dishonesty, because circumstancesbeyond their control made their work perplexing. They will be pointed to as menthat cannot be trusted. And this will be done by the members of the church. God’sservants must arm themselves with the mind of Christ. They must not expect toescape insult and misjudgment. They will be called enthusiasts and fanatics. Butlet them not become discouraged. God’s hand is on the wheel of His providence,guiding His work to the glory of His name.

God calls upon His people to be bright lights in the world shining amid thedarkness of sin. Living the life of the Life-giver brings its reward. He went aboutdoing good. This, every true follower of His will do, filled with a sacred senseof his loyalty to God and his duty to his fellow beings. Through the knowledgeof the truth as it is in Jesus, Christians are to grow in grace, constantly drawingnearer perfection of character.[268]

306

Let God Work His Will In You, October 16

The God of peace ... make you perfect in every good work to do his will,working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ;

to whom be glory for ever and ever. Hebrews 13:20, 21.

By studying the Word of God, and carrying out its precepts in all their businesstransactions, men may carefully discern the spirit that controls the actions. Inthe place of following human impulse and natural inclination, they may learn, bydiligent study, the principles that should control the sons and daughters of Adam.

The Bible is the guidebook that is to decide the many difficult problems thatrise in minds that are selfishly inclined. It is a reflection of the wisdom of God, andnot only furnishes great and important principles, but supplies practical lessonsfor the life and conduct of man toward his fellow man. It gives minute particularsthat decide our relation to God and to each other. It is a complete revelation ofthe attributes and will of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and in it is set forththe obligation of the human agent to render wholehearted service to God, and toinquire at every step of the way, “Is this the way of the Lord?” ...

A deceiving crookedness is discernible in the minds of those whose eyes arenot anointed with the heavenly eyesalve that they may see all things in the lightof God’s Word. The will becomes enslaved, bound to pursue a course whichthe Word of God will not justify. The will of the human agent is not to be giveninto the control of any other man. When merged into the will of other men, it ismisleading....

If the human agent consents, God can and will so identify His will with all ourthoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His Word,that when obeying His will, we are only carrying out the impulses of our minds.All such will not possess an unsanctified, selfish disposition, ready to carry outtheir own wills, but will have a jealous, earnest, determined zeal for the gloryof God. They will not want to do anything in their own strength, and will guardstrictly against the danger of promoting self.

All who would perfect a Christian character must wear the yoke of Christ. Ifthey would sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, they must learn of Himwhile on this earth. Our natures are in need of discipline. They must be conformedto the nature of Jesus Christ, that He may accomplish the good He designs to dofor all who will submit to be molded by yielding their natures to His authority.The great Teacher will yoke up with every soul who will bear His yoke. [269]

307

Christ’s Love Cannot Be Measured, October 17

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, norprincipalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor

height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us fromthe love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38, 39.

Christ might, because of our guilt, have moved far from us. But instead ofmoving farther away from us, He came and dwelt among us, filled with all thefullness of the Godhead, to be one with us, that through His grace we might attainto perfection. By a death of shame and suffering He paid man’s ransom. Whatself-sacrificing love is this! From the highest excellency He came, His divinityclothed with humanity, descending step by step to the very depths of humiliation.No line can measure the depth of this love. Christ has shown us how much Godcan love and our Redeemer suffer in order to secure our complete restoration.He desires His children to reveal His character, to exert His influence, that otherminds may be drawn into harmony with His mind.

Christ, our Saviour, in whom dwelt absolute perfection, became sin for thefallen race. He did not know sin by the experience of sinning, but He bore theterrible weight of the guilt of the whole world. He became our propitiation, thatall who receive Him may become sons of God. The cross was erected to save man.Christ lifted on the cross was the means devised in heaven for awakening in therepenting soul a sense of the sinfulness of sin. By the cross Christ sought to drawall to Himself. He died as the only hope of saving those who, because of sin, werein the gall of bitterness. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, a new principle ofmental and spiritual power was to be brought to man, who, through associationwith divinity, was to become one with God.

To break down the barriers that Satan had erected between God and man,Christ made a full and complete sacrifice, revealing unexampled self-denial. Herevealed to the world the amazing spectacle of God living in human flesh, andsacrificing Himself to save fallen man. What wonderful love! As I consider it, Iweep to think that so many of those who claim to believe the truth are encrustedwith selfishness....

I marvel that professing Christians do not grasp the divine resources; that theydo not see the cross more clearly as the medium of forgiveness and pardon, themeans of bringing the proud, selfish heart of man into direct contact with the HolySpirit, that the riches of Christ may be poured into the mind, and the human agentbe adorned with the graces of the Spirit, that Christ may be commended to thosewho know Him not.[270]

308

Standing By Principle, October 18

O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Psalm 119:97.

Let those who talk of principle as if they would not on any account depart fromit be sure that they understand the principles laid down in the Word of God forour guidance. There are some who follow false principles. Their idea of principleis misleading. Following right principle means the faithful doing of the first fourand the last six commandments. In obedience to these divine commands, we eatthe flesh and drink the blood of Christ, appropriating all that is embraced in theatonement made on Calvary. Christ will stand by the side of all who receive Himas their Saviour. To them He will give power to become the sons of God. “TheWord was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory asof the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

The One here referred to as the Word is the Son of God, who was the Comman-der in the heavenly courts, and who came to this world to open heavenly things tofallen human beings. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the Word thatwas with God before the world was. In clothing His divinity with humanity, Hebecame possessed of two natures, the divine and the human. And because of this,He was fully able to accomplish for the human race their complete redemption,and their restoration to the privileges of the higher life.

He began His earthly life as human beings begin theirs, coming to this worldas a helpless babe. And while here, He lived the life that every human being maylive who will receive the great gift that the Lord made to our world in sending HisSon to work out the plan of salvation.

Christ bore the penalty of sin, the stroke of divine justice, that human beingsmight not be left to perish. He bore in His body the sentence pronounced againstsinners. This is the science of salvation, which can safely be searched into, andwhich it is profitable to strive to understand....

Those who continue in transgression will be judged according to their refusalof light. They choose to stand on the side of the prince of darkness, to become thehelping hand of him who, if it were possible, would deceive the very elect. Theyrefuse the wonderful gift of heaven, and though they may profess righteousness,and talk of “adherence to principle,” they are at the same time following principlesopposed to the noble principles of heaven, and they teach others to follow thesame corrupting principles. [271]

309

Our Sanctuary Doctrine, October 19

Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary becleansed. Daniel 8:14.

God bids us give our time and strength to the work of preaching to the peoplethe messages that stirred men and women in 1843 and 1844....

My brethren, take your position where God bids you. Leave alone those who,after light has been repeatedly given them, have taken a stand on the oppositeside.... Take up the work which has been given us. With the Word of God as yourmessage, stand on the platform of truth and proclaim the soon coming of Christ.Truth, eternal truth, will prevail.

For more than half a century [i.e., since 1844] the different points of presenttruth have been questioned and opposed. New theories have been advanced astruth, which were not truth, and the Spirit of God revealed their error. As the greatpillars of our faith have been presented, the Holy Spirit has borne witness to them,and especially is this so regarding the truths of the sanctuary question. Over andover again the Holy Spirit has in a marked manner endorsed the preaching of thisdoctrine. But today, as in the past, some will be led to form new theories and todeny the truths upon which the Spirit of God has placed His approval.

Any man who seeks to present theories which would lead us from the lightthat has come to us on the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary should not beaccepted as a teacher. A true understanding of the sanctuary question means muchto us as a people. When we were earnestly seeking the Lord for light on thatquestion, light came. In vision I was given such a view of the heavenly sanctuary,and the ministration connected with the holy place, that for many days I could notspeak of it.

I know from the light that God has given me that there should be a revival ofthe messages that have been given in the past, because men will seek to bring innew theories, and will try to prove that these theories are scriptural, whereas theyare error, which, if allowed a place, will undermine faith in the truth. We are notto accept these suppositions and pass them along as truth. No, no; we must notmove from the platform of truth on which we have been established.

There will always be those who are seeking for something new, and whostretch and strain the Word of God to make it support their ideas and theories. Letus, brethren, take the things that God has given us, and which His Spirit has taughtus is truth, and believe them, leaving alone those theories which His Spirit has notendorsed.[272]

310

Eating The Leaves Of The Tree Of Life, October 20

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there thetree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every

month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.Revelation 22:2.

Must we wait until we are translated before we eat of the leaves of the tree oflife? He who receives into his heart the words of Christ knows what it means toeat the leaves of the tree of life....

The knowledge that comes from God is the bread of life. It is the leaves of thetree of life which are for the healing of the nations. The current of spiritual lifethrills the soul as the words of Christ are believed and practiced. Thus it is thatwe are made one with Christ. The experience that was weak and feeble becomesstrong. It is eternal life to us if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm untothe end.

All truth is to be received as the life of Jesus. Truth cleanses us from allimpurity, and prepares the soul for Christ’s presence. Christ is formed within, thehope of glory....

It is essential that those who pledge themselves to keep God’s commandmentshave an intelligent knowledge of the Scriptures. Thus we learn to deny selfand to be strictly honest with God in using His goods. It was in order that wemight understand the divine will that God gave us the Bible. We cannot obey Hiscommandments until we know what these commandments are.

Parents are without excuse if they fail to obtain a clear understanding of God’swill, that they may obey the laws of His kingdom. Only thus can they lead theirchildren to heaven. My brethren and sisters, it is your duty to understand God’srequirements. How can you educate your children in the things of God unlessyou first know yourselves what is right and what is wrong, unless you realize thatobedience means eternal life and disobedience eternal death?

We must make it our lifework to understand the will of God. Only as wedo this can we train our children aright. Your every word and action is to be inaccordance with the will of God, irrespective of the opinions and practices ofthose who refuse to obey God....

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7). The Lordhas kept back nothing that is necessary for the enlightenment of His children. Noone can plead in excuse for transgression that he was left in ignorance, that theway to heaven was not clearly marked out. We have not been left to serve God ina vague, uncertain way. [273]

311

Only One Light To Illuminate The Way, October 21

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and moreunto the perfect day. Proverbs 4:18.

Christ’s love in the heart, revealing through the life its wondrous power—thisis the greatest miracle that can be performed before a fallen, quarreling world. Letus try to work this miracle, not in our own power, but in the name of the Lord JesusChrist, whose we are and whom we serve. Let us put on Christ, and the miracle-working power of His grace will be so plainly revealed in the transformation ofcharacter that the world will be convinced that God has sent His Son into the worldto make men as angels in character and life.

Those who truly believe in Christ sit together with Him in heavenly places. Letus accept the badge of Christianity. This is not an outward sign, not the wearingof a cross or a crown, but it is something that reveals the union of man with God.Let us “put off the old man with his deeds; and ... put on the new man, which isrenewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:9,10). The beauty of holiness is revealed as Christians draw near together, blendingin Christlike love.

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood ofJesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil,that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let usdraw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkledfrom an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fastthe profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) andlet us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsakingthe assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhortingone another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews10:19-25).

There is only one true religion, only one way to heaven; only one light toilluminate the way as the pilgrims press on. As we follow on to know the Lord,we shall acknowledge at every step that Christ is the Light of the world, that He isthe Way, the Truth, and the Life; and we shall find that the path that He bids usfollow is “as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day”(Proverbs 4:18)....

The Lord is good and greatly to be praised.... How blest, how doubly blest, isthe home in which father, mother, and children are consecrated to the service ofChrist.[274]

312

Christ Has Power For Us, October 22

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.Colossians 2:10.

We are to live in the warm, genial rays of the Sun of Righteousness. Nothingbut His loving compassion, His divine grace, His almighty power, can enable usto baffle the relentless foe and subdue the opposition of the human heart. What isour strength? The joy of the Lord. Let the melting love of Christ fill the heart, andwe are softened and subdued, prepared to receive the power that He has for us.

Let us thank God every day for the blessings that are ours. If the humanagent will humble himself before God, realizing how inappropriate it is for himto cherish a feeling of self-sufficiency; realizing his utter inability to do the workthat needs to be done in order for his soul to be purified, casting away, making ofno account, his own righteousness, Christ will engrave His own image upon hissoul....

Christ will never neglect the work that has been placed in His hands. Hewill inspire the resolute disciple with a sense of the perversity, the sin-stainedcondition, the depravity, of the heart upon which He is working. The true penitenthas learned the uselessness of self-importance. Looking to Jesus, comparing hisown defective character with the Saviour’s perfect character, he can say,

In my hand no price I bring;Simply to Thy cross I cling.With Isaiah he declares, “Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also

hast wrought all our works in us. O Lord our God, other lords beside thee havehad dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name”(Isaiah 26:12, 13).

Beholding Christ for the purpose of becoming like Him, the seeker after truthsees the perfection of the principles of God’s law, and he becomes dissatisfiedwith everything but perfection. Hiding his life in the life of Christ, he sees thatthe holiness of the divine law is revealed in the character of Christ, and more andmore earnestly he strives to be like Him. A warfare may be expected at any time,for the tempter sees that he is losing one of his subjects. A battle must be foughtwith the attributes which Satan has been strengthening for his own use.

The human agent sees what he has to contend with—a strange power opposedto the idea of attaining the perfection that Christ holds out. But with Christ thereis saving power that will gain for him victory in the conflict. The Saviour willstrengthen and help him as he comes pleading for grace and efficiency. [275]

313

Help For The Conflict Promised, October 23

Thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, OIsrael, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name;

thou art mine. Isaiah 43:1.

Every obstacle to the redemption of the people of God is to be removed by theopening of the Word of God and the presentation of a plain “Thus saith the Lord.”The true light is to shine forth, for darkness covers the earth and gross darknessthe people. The truth of the living God is to appear in contrast with error. Proclaimthe glad tidings: We have a Saviour who has given His life that all who believe inHim should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Obstacles to the advancement of the work of the Lord will appear, but fearnot. To the omnipotence of the King of kings, our covenant-keeping God unitesthe gentleness and care of a tender shepherd. Nothing can stand in His way. Hispower is absolute, and is the pledge of the sure fulfillment of His promises to Hispeople. He can remove all obstructions to the advancement of His work....

The church of Christ is God’s agency for the proclamation of truth, empoweredby Him to do a special work, and if she is loyal to God, obedient to all Hiscommandments, there will dwell within her the excellency of divine power. If shewill honor the Lord God of Israel, there is no power that can stand against her. Ifshe will be true to her allegiance, the forces of the enemy will be no more able tooverpower her than is the chaff to resist the whirlwind.

There is before the church the dawn of a bright, glorious day, if she will put onthe robe of Christ’s righteousness, withdrawing from all alliance with the world.The members of the church need now to confess their backslidings, and presstogether. My brethren and sisters, allow nothing to come in that will separate youfrom one another and from God. Talk not of differences of opinion, but unite inthe love of the truth as it is in Jesus. Come before God and plead the shed blood ofthe Saviour as a reason that you should receive help in the warfare against evil. Iassure you that you will not plead in vain. As you draw near to God, with heartfeltcontrition and in full assurance of faith, the enemy who seeks to destroy you willbe overcome.

Turn to the Lord, ye prisoners of hope. Seek strength from God, the livingGod. Show an unwavering, humble faith in His power and willingness to save.From Christ is flowing the living stream of salvation. He is the Fountain of lifeand the Source of all power.[276]

314

Service To God Begins On Earth, October 24

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold thatperisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and

honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:17.

Those who work against the natural laws of the being must suffer the penaltyof transgression. But the Saviour pities us, even when we suffer from infirmitiescaused by our own wrong course of action. In Him there is a healing power for us.Let us praise God for the tree of life, the leaves of which are for the healing of thenations....

Everywhere the effects of the curse are seen. Let us praise God that in theearth made new “there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of theLamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him” (Revelation 22:3). Somelittle know what true service means. Those who expect to sing in an entertainmentspend time in practicing, to familiarize themselves with the music and the words.That we may learn how to serve the Lord in heaven, we must enter His servicenow, becoming acquainted with Him and learning to be faithful servants....

It is our privilege to understand the blessed Word of God. We have fallen,it is true, but we are not always to remain in sin. We have been placed onvantage ground. The Lord God of heaven “so loved the world, that he gave hisonly begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but haveeverlasting life” (John 3:16). What a precious hope we have in Christ! ...

Temptations will come. But when Satan throws his hellish shadow beforeus, we should reach in faith through the shadow to the light of life—to Him whohas not only created man but who by His own blood has redeemed him. We areChrist’s cherished heritage. In living faith we must cooperate with Him in workingout our own salvation. Amid trials and temptations His hand upholds and sustainsus. Those who rest in Christ Jesus are never restless or uneasy. He means justwhat He says when He bids us commit the keeping of our souls unto Him, as to afaithful Creator.

Those who hold fast their faith unto the end will come forth from the furnaceof trial as fine gold seven times purified. Of this work the prophet Isaiah says, “Iwill make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedgeof Ophir” (Isaiah 13:12). When in trouble, remember that faith tried in the furnaceof affliction is more precious than gold tried with fire. Remember that there is Onewatching every movement, to see when the last particle of dross is taken awayfrom your character. [277]

315

The Meaning Of Communion With God, October 25

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also mayhave fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and

with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3.

Communion with God is the life of the soul. It is not something that we cannotinterpret, something that we can clothe with beautiful words but which does notgive us the genuine experience that makes our words of real value. Communionwith God gives a daily experience that does indeed make our joy full.

Those who have this union with Christ will declare it in spirit and word andwork. Profession is nothing unless in word and work good fruit is manifest. Unity,fellowship with one another and with Christ—this is the fruit borne on everybranch of the living vine. The cleansed soul, born again, has a clear, distincttestimony to bear....

To know God is, in the scriptural sense of the term, to be one with Him inheart and mind, having an experimental knowledge of Him, holding reverentialcommunion with Him as the Redeemer. Only through sincere obedience can thiscommunion be obtained. Where this communion is lacking, the heart is not inany sense a temple of God, but is controlled by the foe, who is working out hisown purposes through the human agency. Such a man, whatever his profession orclaims, is not a temple of the Holy Spirit.

The experience is perfected by fruit bearing. He who does not bear good fruitin words and deeds, in the strength of elevated, ennobling principle, is a bad tree.The fruit that he bears is unpalatable to God. His professed knowledge of Christis a falsehood, a deception....

In the light of the love of Christ, the gospel is an open book. This is the truelight, which Christ came to bring to the world. The Saviour’s true disciples havereceived this love....

From the light that God has given me, I know that men’s great danger is inbeing self-deceived. Satan is watching his chance. He will come to men in humanform, and will speak to them most entrancing words. He will bring against themthe same temptations that he brought against Christ. Unless their minds and heartsare filled with the pure, unselfish, sanctified love that Christ revealed, they willfall under Satan’s power, and will do and say and write strange things, to deceive,if it were possible, the very elect....

Following Christ’s example of unselfish service, trusting like little children inHis merits, and obeying His commands, we shall receive the approval of God.[278]

316

Heaven, The Christian’s Summer, October 26

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great Godand our Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13.

Christ is soon to come the second time. Of this we should often talk. It shouldbe the uppermost thought in our minds. He is coming, with power and great glory,and every eye shall see Him. All the holy angels will accompany Him. Of thiscompany John writes, “I beheld, and heard the voice of many angels round aboutthe throne and the beast and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousandtimes ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11).

The trumpet has not yet sounded. Those who have gone down into the gravehave not yet cried, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”(1 Corinthians 15:55). The righteous dead have not yet been caught up with theliving saints to meet their Lord in the air. But the time is near when the wordsspoken by the apostle Paul will have their fulfillment, “For the Lord himself shalldescend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with thetrump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive andremain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord inthe air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

In order for us to be like the Saviour, we must be changed (see Philippians 3:20,21). Now is the time for us to bring into the daily life the virtues of Christ’s life.We have no time to lose. Should we fail in our character building, we shall loseeternal life. We must build on the true foundation.... We must do the work ofChrist, and be constantly watching and praying. Then we shall be ready for Hisappearing, prepared to receive eternal life.

All who will can be overcomers. Let us strive earnestly to reach the standardset before us. Christ knows our weakness, and to Him we can go daily for help. Itis not necessary for us to gain strength a month ahead. We are to conquer fromday to day.

This earth is the place of preparation for heaven. The time spent here is theChristian’s winter. Here the chilly winds of affliction blow upon us, and the wavesof trouble roll against us. But in the near future, when Christ comes, sorrow andsighing will be forever ended. Then will be the Christian’s summer. All trialswill be over, and there will be no more sickness or death. “God shall wipe awayall tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, norcrying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passedaway” (Revelation 21:4). [279]

317

We Have The Blessed Assurance, October 27

I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5.

We have but one life to live, and through our daily connection with God wehave, in and through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, a constant sustenancein doing the things that will represent Christ to the world. We may not have allthe conveniences that some have in ease and comfort and in earthly goods, butwe have the blessed assurance which Christ gave to His believing disciples.... Tothem He said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also inme. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have toldyou. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I willcome again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”(John 14:1-3)....

Blessed words! We may receive Him into our hearts, and He will be unto ushope and courage and sustaining grace. The Lord would have us trust fully andentirely in Him. Then we will, in the simplicity of our faith, believe that Christwill do for us all that He has promised. Let all come to the Saviour in the fullassurance that He will do all that He has promised.

We cannot please our Saviour more than by having faith in His promises. Hismercies can come to you, and your prayers can come to Him. Nothing can breakthis line of communication. We must learn to bring all perplexities to Jesus Christ,for He will help us. He will listen to our requests. We may come to Him in fullassurance of faith, nothing doubting, for He is the living Way....

The more we press our petitions to His throne, the more sure we are ofconstantly receiving the great grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You do not givestrength to the road you are traveling by [having] faith. But you increase instrength and in assurance because you have a Guide right by your side, and youcan ask Him with perfect faith to guide your steps aright.

Then trust in the Lord Jesus to lead you step by step into the right path. You canderive assurance and strength at every step you advance, for you can be assuredthat your hand is in His hand. You can “run and not be weary”; you can “walkand not faint,” for you can realize by faith that you have your hand in the handof Christ. You will not sink under discouragement, for as you follow on to knowthe Lord, trusting in Him, you will have the assurance that the One who neverforsakes those who fully trust Him is your constant Helper.[280]

318

Drop Self Into God’s Hands, October 28

My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able topluck them out of my Father’s hand. John 10:29.

We must rise to a higher standard on the subject of faith. We have too littlefaith. The Word of God is our endorsement. We must take it, simply believingevery word. With this assurance, we may claim large things, and according to ourfaith it will be unto us... If we humble our hearts before God, if we seek to abidein Christ, we shall have a higher, holier experience....

True faith consists in doing just what God has enjoined, not manufacturingthings He has not enjoined. Justice, truth, mercy, are the fruit of faith. We need towalk in the light of God’s law; then good works will be the fruit of our faith, theproceeds of a heart renewed every day.

We must not in any way make self our god. God has given Himself to die forus, that He might purify us from all iniquity. The Lord will carry on this work ofperfection for us if we will allow ourselves to be controlled by Him....

The work of righteousness cannot be carried forward unless we exerciseimplicit faith. Move every day under God’s mighty working power. The fruitof righteousness is quietness and assurance forever. If we had exercised morefaith in God and had trusted less to our own ideas and wisdom, God would havemanifested His power in a marked manner on human hearts. By a union with Him,by living faith, we are privileged to enjoy the virtue and efficacy of His mediation.Hence we are crucified with Christ, dead with Christ, risen with Christ, to walk innewness of life with Him.

We are not to hold ourselves in our own hands. We are to drop self into thehands of God.... Our lack of faith is the reason that we have not seen more ofthe power of God. We exercise more faith in our own working than in God’sworking for us. God designs that everything possible shall be done to enable usto stand heart to heart, mind to mind, shoulder to shoulder. This lack of love andconfidence in one another weakens our faith in God.

We need to pray as we never have prayed before for the baptism of the HolySpirit, for if there was ever a time when we needed this baptism, it is now. Thereis nothing the Lord has more frequently told us He would bestow upon us, andnothing by which His name would be more glorified in bestowing, than the HolySpirit. When we partake of this Spirit, men and women will be born again....Souls once lost will be found, and brought back. [281]

319

The Meaning Of Christian Perfection, October 29

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13.

What does God require? Perfection; nothing less than perfection. But if wewould be perfect, we must put no confidence in self. Daily we must know andunderstand that self is not to be trusted. We need to grasp God’s promises withfirm faith. We need to ask for the Holy Spirit with a full realization of our ownhelplessness. Then when the Holy Spirit works, we shall not give self the glory.The Holy Spirit will graciously take the heart into His keeping, bringing to it allthe bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. We shall be kept by the power ofGod through faith.

When we are daily under the control of God’s Spirit, we shall becommandment-keeping people. We may show to the world that obedience toGod’s commands brings its own reward, even in this life, and in the future lifeeternal blessedness. Notwithstanding our profession of faith, the Lord by whomour actions are weighed sees but an imperfect representation of Christ. He hasdeclared that such a condition of things cannot glorify Him.

It means much to commit the keeping of the soul to God. It means that we areto live and walk by faith, not trusting in or glorifying self, but looking to Jesusour Advocate as the Author and Finisher of our faith. The Holy Spirit will do itswork upon a heart that is contrite, but never can He work upon a self-important,self-righteous soul. In his own wisdom such a one would mend himself. Heinterposes between his soul and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will work if selfwill not interpose....

The Holy Spirit is ready to cooperate with all who will receive Him and betaught by Him. All who lay hold on the truth and are sanctified through the truthare so united with Christ that they can represent Him in word and action.... Maythe Holy Spirit speak to the hearts of God’s chosen people, that their words maybe as choice as gold as they give the bread of life to those in transgression andsin....

It is God’s pleasure and will that the blessings bestowed on man shall be givenin perfect completeness. He has made provision that every difficulty may beovercome, every want supplied through the Holy Spirit. Thus He designs that manshall perfect a Christian character. God would have us contemplate His love, Hispromises, given so freely to those who have no merit in themselves, He wouldhave us depend fully, gratefully, rejoicingly in the righteousness provided for usin Christ. To all who come to God in His appointed way, He freely listens.[282]

320

Shine With Living Brightness, October 30

And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make upmy jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth

him. Malachi 3:17.

Christians are Christ’s jewels, bought with an infinite price. They are to shinebrightly for Him, shedding forth the light of His loveliness. And ever they are toremember that all the luster that Christian character possesses is received from theSun of Righteousness.

The luster of Christ’s jewels depends on the polishing that they receive. Goddoes not compel us to be polished. We are left free to choose to be polished orto remain unpolished. But everyone who is pronounced worthy of a place in theLord’s temple must submit to the polishing process. He must consent to have thesharp edges cut away from his character, that it may be shapely and beautiful,fitted to represent the perfection of Christ’s character....

The divine Worker spends little time on worthless material. Only the preciousjewels does He polish after the similitude of a palace. With hammer and chisel Hecuts away the rough edges, preparing us for a place in God’s temple. The processis severe and trying. It hurts human pride. Christ cuts deep into the experience thatman in his self-sufficiency regarded as complete, and takes away self-upliftingfrom the character. He cuts away the surplus surface, and putting the stone tothe polishing wheel, presses it close, that all roughness may be worn off. Thenholding the jewel up to the light the Master sees in it a reflection of His own image,and it is pronounced worthy of a place in His temple.

Blessed be the experience, however severe, that gives new value to the stone,enabling it to shine with living brightness! ...

[The Lord] has workers whom He will call forth from poverty and obscurity.Engaged in the common duties of life, and clothed with coarse raiment, they arelooked upon by men as of little value. But Christ sees in them infinite possibilities,and in His hands they will become precious jewels, to shine brightly in the kingdomof God. “They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Host, in that day when I make upmy jewels.” (Malachi 3:17).

Christ’s perfect knowledge of human character fits Him to deal with minds.God knows just how to treat each soul. He judges not as man judges. He knowsthe real value of the material upon which He is working in fitting men and womenfor positions of trust. [283]

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We Are Objects Of Infinite Love, October 31

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.

Ephesians 2:4, 5.

The heart surrendered to God’s wise discipline will trust every working outof His providence.... Temptation will come to discourage, but what is gained byyielding to any such temptations? Is the soul made any better by murmuring andcomplaining of its only source of strength? Is the anchor cast within the vail. Willit hold in sickness? Will it be the testimony borne in the last closing scenes of lifewhen the lips are becoming palsied with death? The anchor holds! I know that myRedeemer liveth....

O Precious, loving, long-suffering, long-forbearing Jesus, how my soul adoresThee! That a poor, unworthy, sin-polluted soul can stand before the Holy God,complete in the righteousness of our Substitute and Surety! Wonder, O Heavens,and be astonished, O earth, that fallen man is the object of His infinite love anddelight. He rejoices over them with celestial songs, and man defiled with sin,having become cleansed through the righteousness of Christ, is presented to theFather free from every spot and stain of sin, “not having spot, or wrinkle, or anysuch thing” (Ephesians 5:27). “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’select? It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:33).

Let every weak, tempest-tossed soul find anchorage in Jesus Christ and notbecome so self-centered that he can think only of his little disappointments andthe interruption of his plans and hopes. Is not the subject of the plan of salvationall-absorbing? If the infinite God justifies me, “who is he that condemneth? It isChrist that died” (verse 34). He has in His dying for man revealed how much Heloves man—enough to die for Him! The law condemns the sinner and drives himto Christ. It is God that justifies and pardons.

Satan will accuse and seek permission to destroy, but it is God that opens thedoor of refuge. It is God that justifieth him that entereth that door. Then if Godbe for us, who can be against us? Oh, the bright glorious truth. Why do not mendiscern it? Why not walk in its bright beams? Why do not all who believe talk ofChrist’s matchless love? ...

God lives and reigns. All who are saved must fight manfully as soldiers ofJesus Christ; then they will be registered in heaven’s books as true and faithful.They are to work the works of Jesus Christ, fight the good fight of faith.

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November—Reflecting Christ

Christ’s Compassion Knew No Limit, November 1[284]

This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, “He took ourinfirmities and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8:17, R.S.V.

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this world as the unwearied servant of man’snecessity. He “took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” that He mightminister to every need of humanity. The burden of disease and wretchedness andsin He came to remove. It was His mission to bring to men complete restoration;He came to give them health and peace and perfection of character.

Varied were the circumstances and needs of those who besought His aid, andnone who came to Him went away unhelped. From Him flowed a stream ofhealing power, and in body and mind and soul men were made whole.

The Saviour’s work was not restricted to any time or place. His compassionknew no limit. On so large a scale did He conduct His work of healing and teachingthat there was no building in Palestine large enough to receive the multitudes thatthronged to Him. On the green hillslopes of Galilee, in the thoroughfares oftravel, by the seashore, in the synagogues, and in every place where the sickcould be brought to Him was to be found His hospital. In every city, every town,every village through which He passed, He laid His hands upon the afflicted ones,and healed them. Wherever there were hearts ready to receive His message, Hecomforted them with the assurance of their heavenly Father’s love. All day Heministered to those who came to Him; in the evening He gave attention to such asthrough the day must toil to earn a pittance for the support of their families.

Jesus carried the awful weight of responsibility for the salvation of men. Heknew that unless there was a decided change in the principles and purposes ofthe human race, all would be lost. This was the burden of His soul, and nonecould appreciate the weight that rested upon Him. Through childhood, youth, andmanhood, He walked alone....

Day by day He met trials and temptations; day by day He was brought intocontact with evil, and witnessed its power upon those whom He was seeking tobless and to save. Yet He did not fail nor become discouraged....

He was always patient and cheerful, and the afflicted hailed Him as a messengerof life and peace. He saw the needs of men and women, children and youth, andto all He gave the invitation, “Come unto me.” ...[285]

As He passed through the towns and cities, He was like a vital current, diffusinglife and joy.

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Christ A Perfect Example For All, November 2

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God andman. Luke 2:52.

Man has fallen. God’s image in him is defaced. By disobedience he is depravedin inclination and weakened in power, unable, apparently, to look forward toanything but tribulation and wrath. But God, through Christ, has wrought outa way of escape, and He says to everyone, “Be ye therefore perfect.” It is Hispurpose that man shall stand before Him upright and noble, and He will not bedefeated. He sent His Son to this world to bear the penalty of sin, and to showman how to live a sinless life.

Christ is our ideal. He has left a perfect example for childhood, youth, andmanhood. He came to this earth, and passed through the different phases of humanexperience. In His life sin found no place. From the beginning to the close of Hisearthly life, He preserved unsullied His loyalty to God. The Word says of Him,“The child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace ofGod was upon Him.” He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour withGod and man.”

The Saviour lived not to please Himself.... He had no home in this world, onlyas the kindness of His friends provided Him one, yet it was heaven to be in Hispresence. Day by day He met trials and temptations, yet He did not fail or becomediscouraged. He was always patient and cheerful, and the afflicted hailed Him asa messenger of life and peace and health. His life held nothing that was not pureand noble....

God’s promise is, “Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.” Holiness is the reflectionof God’s glory. But in order to reflect this glory, we must cooperate with God.Heart and mind must be emptied of all that leads to wrong. The Word of God mustbe read and studied with a sincere desire to gain from it spiritual strength. ThisWord is the Bread of heaven. Those who receive it, and make it a part of theirlives, grow strong in the strength of God. Our sanctification is God’s object in allHis dealing with us. He has chosen us from eternity, that we may be holy. Christdeclares, “This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” Is it your will, also,that your desires and inclinations shall be brought into conformity to the divinewill? ...

Living the life of the Saviour, overcoming every selfish desire, fulfilling bravelyand cheerfully our duty to God and to those around us—this makes us more thanconquerors. This prepares us to stand before the great white throne free from spot [286]or wrinkle, having washed our robes of character, and made them white in theblood of the lamb.

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Jesus Provided A Model Of Character, November 3

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ whois our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:3, 4.

Let your light shine forth in good works. Said Christ, “Ye are the salt ofthe earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it isthenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot ofmen.” I fear that there are many who are in this condition. All have not the samework to do; different circumstances and talents qualify individuals for differentkinds of work in God’s vineyard. There are some who fill more responsiblepositions than do others; but to each one is given his work, and if he does his workwith fidelity and zeal, he is a faithful steward of the grace of God.

God does not intend that your light shall so shine that your good words orworks shall bring the praise of men to yourself; but that the Author of all good shallbe glorified and exalted. Jesus, in His life, gave to men a model of character. Howlittle power did the world have over Him to mold Him according to its standard!All its influence was thrown off. He declared, “My meat is to do the will of himthat sent me, and to finish his work!” If we had this devotion to the work of God,doing it with an eye single to His glory, we should be able to say with Christ, “Iseek not mine own glory.” His life was full of good works, and it is our duty to liveas our great Example lived. Our life must be hid with Christ in God, and then thelight will be reflected from Jesus to us, and we shall reflect it upon those aroundus, not in mere talk and profession, but in good works, and by manifesting thecharacter of Christ. Those who are reflecting the light of God will cherish a lovingdisposition. They will be cheerful, willing, obedient to all the requirements ofGod. They will be meek and self-sacrificing, and will work with devoted love forthe salvation of souls....

All who are true lightbearers will reflect light upon the pathway of others. Letthose who have named the name of Christ, depart from all iniquity. If you yieldto the claims of God, and become permeated with His love, and filled with Hisfullness, children, youth, and young disciples will look to you for their impressionsof what constitutes practical godliness; and you may thus be the means of leadingthem in the path of obedience to God. You will then be exerting an influence[287]which will bear the test of God, and your work will be compared to gold, silver,and precious stones, for it will be of an imperishable nature.

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True Followers Obey God’s Law, November 4

Sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4.

The desire for an easy religion that requires no striving, no self-denial, nodivorce from the follies of the world, has made the doctrine of faith, and faithonly, a popular doctrine; but what saith the Word of God? Says the apostle James:“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have notworks? can faith save him? ... Wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith withoutworks is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he hadoffered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works,and by works was faith made perfect?... Ye see then how that by works a man isjustified, and not by faith only” (James 2:14-24).

The testimony of the Word of God is against this ensnaring doctrine of faithwithout works. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complyingwith the conditions upon which mercy is to be granted, it is presumption; forgenuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures....

The commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit andseparates the soul from God. “Sin is the transgression of the law.” And “whosoeversinneth [transgresseth the law] hath not seen him, neither known him” (1 John 3:6).Though John in his Epistles dwells so fully upon love, yet he does not hesitate toreveal the true character of that class who claim to be sanctified while living intransgression of the law of God. “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not hiscommandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word,in him verily is the love of God perfected” (chap. 2:4, 5).

Here is the test of every man’s profession. We cannot accord holiness toany man without bringing him to the measurement of God’s only standard ofholiness in heaven and in earth. If men feel no weight of the moral law, if theybelittle and make light of God’s precepts, if they break one of the least of thesecommandments, and teach men so, they shall be of no esteem in the sight ofHeaven, and we may know that their claims are without foundation.

And the claim to be without sin is, in itself, evidence that he who makes thisclaim is far from holy. It is because he has no true conception of the infinite [288]purity and holiness of God or of what they must become who shall be in harmonywith His character; because he has no true conception of the purity and exaltedloveliness of Jesus, and the malignity and evil of sin, that man can regard himselfas holy.

It was the righteousness revealed in His [Christ’s] life that distinguished Himfrom the world.

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How We May Keep God’s Law, November 5

His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth forever. Psalm 111:3.

One ray of the glory of God, one gleam of the purity of Christ, penetratingthe soul, makes every spot of defilement painfully distinct, and lays bare thedeformity and defects of the human character. How can anyone who is broughtbefore the holy standard of God’s law, which makes apparent the evil motives, theunhallowed desires, the infidelity of the heart, the impurity of the lips, and thatlays bare the life, make any boast of holiness? His acts of disloyalty in makingvoid the law of God are exposed to his sight, and his spirit is stricken and afflictedunder the searching influences of the Spirit of God. He loathes himself as he viewsthe greatness, the majesty, the pure and spotless character of Jesus Christ.

When the Spirit of Christ stirs the heart with its marvelous awakening power,there is a sense of deficiency in the soul, that leads to contrition of mind, andhumiliation of self, rather than to proud boasting of what has been acquired. WhenDaniel beheld the glory and majesty surrounding the heavenly messenger that wassent unto him, he exclaimed, as he described the wonderful scene, “Therefore Iwas left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me:for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.”

The soul that is thus touched will never wrap itself about with self-righteousness, or a pretentious garb of holiness; but will hate its selfishness,abhor its self-love, and will seek, through Christ’s righteousness, for that purity ofheart which is in harmony with the law of God and the character of Christ. Hewill then reflect the character of Christ, the hope of glory. It will be the greatestmystery to him that Jesus should have made so great a sacrifice to redeem him.

He will exclaim, with humble mien and quivering lip, “He loved me. He gaveHimself for me. He became poor that I, through His poverty, might be maderich. The Man of Sorrows did not spurn me, but poured out His inexhaustible,redeeming love that my heart might be made clean; and He has brought me backinto loyalty and obedience to all His commandments. His condescension, His[289]humiliation, His crucifixion, are the crowning miracles in the marvelous exhibitionof the plan of salvation....All this He has done to make it possible to impart to meHis own righteousness, that I may keep the law I have transgressed. For this Iadore Him. I will proclaim Him to all sinners.”

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The Repentant Sinner Accepted In Christ, November 6

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which arethe figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence

of God for us. Hebrews 9:24.

Christ is our sacrifice, our substitute, our surety, our divine intercessor; He ismade unto us righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. “For Christ is notentered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true;but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

The intercession of Christ in our behalf is that of presenting His divine merits inthe offering of Himself to the Father as our substitute and surety; for He ascendedup on high to make an atonement for our transgressions.... “Herein is love, not thatwe loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for oursins” (1 John 4:10). “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come untoGod by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

From these scriptures it is evident that it is not God’s will that you shouldbe distrustful, and torture your soul with the fear that God will not accept youbecause you are sinful and unworthy.... Present your case before Him, pleadingthe merits of the blood shed for you upon Calvary’s cross. Satan will accuse youof being a great sinner, and you must admit this, but you can say: “I know I am asinner, and that is the reason I need a Saviour. Jesus came into the world to savesinners. ‘The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.’...I have nomerit or goodness whereby I may claim salvation, but I present before God theall-atoning blood of the spotless Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of theworld. This is my only plea. The name of Jesus gives me access to the Father.His ear, His heart, is open to my faintest pleading, and He supplies my deepestnecessities.”

It is the righteousness of Christ that makes the penitent sinner acceptable toGod and works his justification. However sinful has been his life, if he believesin Jesus as his personal Saviour, he stands before God in the spotless robes ofChrist’s imputed righteousness. [290]

The sinner so recently dead in trespasses and sins is quickened by faith inChrist. He sees by faith that Jesus is his Saviour, and alive forevermore, able tosave unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. In the atonement made forhim the believer sees such breadth, and length, and height, and depth of efficiency,sees such completeness of salvation, purchased at such an infinite cost, that hissoul is filled with praise and thanksgiving.

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Justified Souls Walk In The Light, November 7

God presented him [Christ Jesus] as a sacrifice of atonement, through faithin his blood.... He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as

to be just and the one who justifies the man who has faith in Jesus.Romans 3:25, 26, N.I.V.

“Being justified freely by his grace,” the apostle Paul says, “through theredemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiationthrough faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sinsthat are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time hisrighteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth inJesus.”

Here the truth is laid out in plain lines. This mercy and goodness is whollyundeserved. The grace of Christ is freely to justify the sinner without merit orclaim on his part. Justification is a full, complete pardon of sin. The moment asinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment he is pardoned. The righteousness ofChrist is imputed to him, and he is no more to doubt God’s forgiving grace.

There is nothing in faith that makes it our saviour. Faith cannot remove ourguilt. Christ is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe. Thejustification comes through the merits of Jesus Christ. He has paid the price forthe sinner’s redemption. Yet it is only through faith in His blood that Jesus canjustify the believer.

The sinner cannot depend upon his own good works as a means of justification.He must come to the point where he will renounce all his sin, and embrace onedegree of light after another, as it shines upon his pathway. He simply graspsby faith the free and ample provision made in the blood of Christ. He believesthe promises of God which through Christ are made unto him sanctification andrighteousness and redemption.

And if he follows Jesus, he will walk humbly in the light, rejoicing in the light,and diffusing that light to others. Being justified by faith, he carries cheerfulnesswith him in his obedience in all his life. Peace with God is the result of whatChrist is to him. The souls who are in subordination to God, who honor Him, and[291]are doers of His Word, will receive divine enlightenment. In the precious Word ofGod, there is purity and loftiness as well as beauty that, unless assisted by God,the highest powers of man cannot attain to....

We are none of us excusable, under any form of trial, for letting our hold uponGod become loosened. Although the compassion of man may fail, still God lovesand pities, and reaches out His helping hand. God’s everlasting arms encircle thesoul that turns to Him for aid.... God loves to have His children ask Him, and trustHim to do for them those things which they cannot do for themselves.

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Sanctified By Faith And Obedience, November 8

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be mydisciples. John 15:8.

Many shrink from such a life as our Saviour lived. They feel that it requirestoo great a sacrifice to imitate the Pattern, to bring forth fruit in good works, andthen patiently endure the pruning of God that they may bring forth more fruit.But when the Christian regards himself as only a humble instrument in the handsof Christ, and endeavors to faithfully perform every duty, relying upon the helpwhich God has promised, then he will wear the yoke of Christ and find it easy;then he will bear burdens for Christ, and pronounce them light. He can look upwith courage and with confidence, and say, “I know whom I have believed, andam persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him” (2Timothy 1:12).

If we meet obstacles in our path, and faithfully overcome them; if we en-counter opposition and reproach, and in Christ’s name gain the victory; if we bearresponsibilities and discharge our duties in the spirit of our Master—then, indeed,we gain a precious knowledge of His faithfulness and power. We no longer dependupon the experience of others, for we have the witness in ourselves. Like theSamaritans of old, we can say, “We have heard him ourselves, and know that thisis indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42).

The more we contemplate the character of Christ, and the more we experienceof His saving power, the more keenly shall we realize our own weakness andimperfection, and the more earnestly shall we look to Him as our strength andour Redeemer.... By faith in Christ and obedience to the law of God we maybe sanctified, and thus obtain a fitness for the society of holy angels and thewhite-robed redeemed ones in the kingdom of glory. [292]

It is not only the privilege but the duty of every Christian to maintain a closeunion with Christ and to have a rich experience in the things of God. Then his lifewill be fruitful in good works....

When we read the lives of men who have been eminent for their piety weoften regard their experiences and attainments as far beyond our reach. But this isnot the case. Christ died for all; and we are assured in His Word that He is morewilling to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask than are earthly parents to givegood gifts to their children.

The prophets and apostles did not perfect Christian character by a miracle.They used the means which God had placed within their reach; and all who willput forth the same effort will secure the same results.

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A Faith That Works, November 9

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine ownunderstanding. Proverbs 3:5.

When we speak of faith, there is a distinction that should be borne in mind.There is a kind of belief that is wholly distinct from faith. The existence and powerof God, the truth of His Word, are facts that even Satan and his hosts cannot at heartdeny. The Bible says that “the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19); butthis is not faith. Where there is not only a belief in God’s Word, but a submissionof the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed uponHim, there is faith—faith that works by love and purifies the soul.

Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of God. And the heart thatin its unrenewed state is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, nowdelights in its holy precepts, exclaiming with the psalmist, “O how love I thy law!it is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). And the righteousness of the lawis fulfilled in us, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ and who reallydesire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, theirlife faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewedby the Holy Spirit. To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shalloften have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomingsand mistakes, but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by theenemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at theright hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Said the beloved John,“These things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have anadvocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).[293]

And do not forget the words of Christ, “the Father himself loveth you”(John 16:27). He desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity andholiness reflected in you. And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hathbegun a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ. Praymore fervently; believe more fully....

The less we see to esteem in ourselves, the more we shall see to esteem in theinfinite purity and loveliness of our Saviour. A view of our sinfulness drives us toHim who can pardon; and when the soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches outafter Christ, He will reveal Himself in power. The more our sense of need drivesus to Him and to the Word of God, the more exalted views we shall have of Hischaracter, and the more fully we shall reflect His image.

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True Religion Promotes Health, November 10

[Wisdom’s] ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.Proverbs 3:17.

This world is not all sorrow and misery. “God is love” is written upon everyopening bud, upon the petals of every flower, and upon every spire of grass.Though the curse of sin has caused the earth to bring forth thorns and thistles,there are flowers upon the thistles and the thorns are hidden by roses. All thingsin nature testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to makeHis children happy. His prohibitions and injunctions are not intended merely todisplay His authority, but in all that He does He has the well-being of His childrenin view. He does not require them to give up anything that it would be for theirbest interest to retain.

The opinion which prevails in some classes of society, that religion is notconducive to health or to happiness in this life, is one of the most mischievous oferrors. The Scripture says: “The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hathit shall abide satisfied” (Proverbs 19:23). “What man is he that desireth life, andloveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lipsfrom speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”(Psalm 34:12-14). The words of wisdom “are life unto those that find them, andhealth to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:22).

True religion brings man into harmony with the laws of God, physical, mental,and moral. It teaches self-control, serenity, temperance. Religion ennobles themind, refines the taste, and sanctifies the judgment. It makes the soul a partakerof the purity of heaven. Faith in God’s love and overruling providence lightensthe burdens of anxiety and care. It fills the heart with joy and contentment in thehighest or the lowliest lot. Religion tends directly to promote health, to lengthen [294]life, and to heighten our enjoyment of all its blessings. It opens to the soul anever-failing fountain of happiness. Would that all who have not chosen Christmight realize that He has something vastly better to offer them than they areseeking for themselves....

There is an intimate relation between the mind and the body, and in order toreach a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment the laws that control ourphysical being must be heeded. To secure a strong, well-balanced character, boththe mental and the physical powers must be exercised and developed. What studycan be more important ... than that which treats of this wonderful organism thatGod has committed to us, and of the laws by which it may be preserved in health?

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Enlightened To Full Radiance, November 11

If we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as themorning. Hosea 6:3.

We are living amid the perils of the last days, and we are to cleanse ourselvesfrom all defilement, and put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness. The work ofGod is to be steadily carried forward. We are to bring ourselves, body, soul, andspirit, into subjection to Christ. Unless we do this, the health of both body andsoul will be endangered.

God desires His workers to gain daily an understanding of how to reasonlogically from cause to effect, arriving at wise, safe conclusions. He desires themto add to the strength of the memory. We cannot afford to make mistakes. Aslittle children we are to sit at the feet of Christ, learning of Him how to worksuccessfully. We are to ask God for sound judgment, and for light to impart toothers. There is need of knowledge that is the fruit of experience. We should notallow a day to pass without gaining an increase of knowledge in temporal andspiritual things. We are to plant no stakes that we are not willing to take up andplant farther on, nearer the heights we hope to ascend.

The highest education is to be found in training the mind to advance day today. The close of each day should find us a day’s march nearer the overcomer’sreward. Day by day our understanding is to ripen. Day by day we are to workout conclusions that will bring a rich reward in this life, and in the life to come.Looking daily to Jesus, instead of to what we ourselves have done, we shall makedecided advancement in temporal as well as spiritual knowledge.

The end of all things is at hand. What we have done must not be allowedto place the period to our work. The Captain of our salvation says, “Advance.[295]The night cometh, in which no man can work.” Constantly we are to increase inusefulness. Our lives are always to be under the power of Christ. Our lamps are tobe kept burning brightly.

Prayer is a heaven-ordained means of success. Appeals, petitions, entreaties,between man and man, move men, and act as a part in controlling the affairs ofnations. But prayer moves heaven. That power alone that comes in answer toprayer will make men wise in the wisdom of heaven, and enable them to workin the unity of the Spirit, joined together by the bonds of peace. Prayer, faith,confidence in God, bring a divine power that sets human calculations at their realworth—nothingness....

He who places himself where God can enlighten him advances, as it were,from the partial obscurity of dawn to the full radiance of noonday.

334

The Temple Of God, November 12

He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live untothemselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 2

Corinthians 5:15.

Man is God’s workmanship, His masterpiece, created for a high and holypurpose; and on every part of the human tabernacle God desires to write His law.Every nerve and muscle, every mental and physical endowment, is to be kept pure.

God designs that the body shall be a temple for His Spirit. How solemn thenis the responsibility resting on every soul. If we defile our bodies, we are doingharm not only to ourselves, but to many others....

Christ died that the moral image of God might be restored in humanity, thatmen and women might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped thecorruption that is in the world through lust. We are to use no power of our beingfor selfish gratification; for all our powers belong to Him, and are to be used toHis glory....

The human house, God’s building, requires close, watchful guardianship. WithDavid we can exclaim, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” God’s workman-ship is to be preserved, that the heavenly universe and the apostate race may seethat men and women are temples of the living God.

The perfection of character which God requires is the fitting up of the wholebeing as a temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Lord requires theservice of the entire being. He desires men and women to become all that He hasmade it possible for them to be. It is not enough for certain parts of the humanmachinery to be used. All parts must be brought into action, or the service isdeficient.... [296]

The physical life is to be carefully educated, cultivated, and developed, thatthrough men and women the divine nature may be revealed in its fullness. Godexpects men to use the intellect He has given them. He expects them to use everyreasoning power for Him. They are to give the conscience the place of supremacythat has been assigned to it. The mental and physical powers, with the affections,are to be so cultivated that they can reach the highest efficiency. Thus Christ isrepresented to the world....

Is God pleased to see any of the organs or faculties He has given man neglected,misused, or deprived of the health and efficiency it is possible for them to have?Then cultivate the gift of faith. Be brave, and overcome every practice which marsthe soul temple. We are wholly dependent on God, and our faith is strengthenedbe believing, though we cannot see God’s purpose in His dealing with us, or theconsequence of this dealing. Faith points forward and upward to things to come,laying hold of the only power that can make us complete in Him.

335

An Argument Infidels Cannot Resist, November 13

While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.John 12:36.

A well-ordered Christian household is an argument that the infidel cannotresist. He finds no place for his cavils [trivial faultfinding]. And the children ofsuch a household are prepared to meet the sophistries of infidelity. They haveaccepted the Bible as the basis of their faith, and they have a firm foundation thatcannot be swept away by the incoming tide of skepticism.

Said Christ, “Ye are the light of the world.” He has committed talents to ourkeeping. What are we doing with His entrusted gifts? Are we letting our lightshine by using them for His glory and the benefit of our fellow men, or are weusing them to advance our own selfish interests? Many are using them selfishly.They do not seem to realize that we are all judgment-bound, and must soon givean account for the use we have made of our God-given opportunities to do good.But what excuse will they give in that great day for not using in the cause of Godtheir skill, their education, their tact, and their perseverance and zeal?

We need divine help if we would keep our lights burning. But Jesus died toprovide that aid. He extends the invitation: “Let him take hold of my strength, thathe may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.” Cling to the armof Infinite Power; then you will find Him precious to your soul, and all heaven[297]will be at your command. “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light,” we shallhave the companionship of holy angels. To “Joshua” it was said, “Thus saith theLord of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge,...Iwill give thee places to walk among these that stand by.” And who are “these thatstand by”? They are the angels of God. Joshua must have a living, confiding trustin God every day; and then angels would walk with him, and the power of Godwould rest upon him in all his labors.

Then, Christian friends, fathers and mothers, let your light grow dim—no,never! Let your heart grow faint, or your hands weary—no, never! And by andby the portals of the celestial city will be opened to you; and you may presentyourselves and your children before the throne, saying, “Here am I, and thechildren whom Thou hast given me.” And what a reward for faithfulness that willbe, to see your children crowned with immortal life in the beautiful city of God!

336

Family Worship Not To Be Neglected, November 14

Trust...in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. 1Timothy 6:17.

We should be much happier and more useful, if our homelife and social inter-course were governed by the principles of the Christian religion, and illustratedthe meekness and simplicity of Christ.... Let visitors see that we try to make allaround us happy by our cheerfulness, sympathy, and love.

While we endeavor to secure the comfort and happiness of our guests, let usnot overlook our obligation to God. The hour of prayer should not be neglectedfor any consideration.... At an early hour of the evening, when you can prayunhurriedly and understandingly, present your supplication, and raise your voicesin happy, grateful praise. Let all who visit Christians see that the hour of prayeris the most sacred, the most precious, and the happiest hour of the day. Such anexample will not be without effect.

These seasons of devotion exert a refining, elevating influence upon all whoparticipate in them. Right thoughts and new and better desires will be awakened inthe hearts of the most careless. The hour of prayer brings a peace and rest gratefulto the weary spirit; for the very atmosphere of a Christian home is that of peaceand restfulness.

In every act the Christian should seek to represent his Master, to make Hisservice appear attractive....

Nine tenths of the trials and perplexities that so many worry over are either [298]imaginary, or brought upon themselves by their own wrong course. They shouldcease to talk of these trials, and [cease] to magnify them. The Christian maycommit every worriment, every disturbing thing to God. Nothing is too small forour compassionate Saviour to notice; nothing is too great for Him to carry.

Then let us set our hearts and homes in order; let us teach our children thatthe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and let us, by a cheerful, happy,well-ordered life, express our gratitude and love to Him “who giveth us richly allthings to enjoy.” But above all things, let us fix our thoughts and the affectionsof our hearts on the dear Saviour who suffered for guilty man, and thus openedheaven for us.

Love to Jesus cannot be hidden, but will make itself seen and felt. It exerts awondrous power. It makes the timid bold, the slothful diligent, the ignorant wise.It makes the stammering tongue eloquent, and rouses the dormant intellect intonew life and vigor. It makes the desponding hopeful, the gloomy joyous. Love toChrist will lead its possessor to accept responsibilities and cares for His sake, andto bear them in His strength.

337

Families To Reflect The Goodness Of God, November 15

As the father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassionon those that fear him. Psalm 103:13, N.I.V.

Bring the sunshine of heaven into your conversation. By speaking words thatencourage and cheer, you will reveal that the sunshine of Christ’s righteousnessdwells in your soul. Children need pleasant words. It is essential to their happinessto feel approval resting upon them. Strive to overcome harshness of expression,and cultivate soft tones. Catch the beauty contained in the lessons of God’s Word,and cherish this as essential to the happiness and success of your homelife. Ina happy environment the children will develop dispositions that are sweet andsunshiny.

True beauty of character is not something that shines out only on special occa-sions; the grace of Christ dwelling in the soul is revealed under all circumstances.He who cherishes this grace as an abiding presence in the life will reveal beautyin character under trying as well as under easy circumstances. In the home, in theworld, in the church, we are to live the life of Christ. There are souls all aroundin need of conversion. When the law of God is written upon the heart, and iswitnessed to in a holy character, those who know not the power of the grace ofChrist will be led to desire it, and will be converted.[299]

A solemn review is now taking place in the courts above. The thought of thedecisions now being made in heaven should urge parents to diligence in trainingtheir children in the fear and love of God. Not by severe words and punishmentfor wrongdoing will the most be accomplished, but by watchfulness and prayer,lest they be taken by the snares of the enemy....

Every family that has a knowledge of the truth for this time, is to make itknown to others. The Lord’s people are to get ready for the doing of a specialwork. The children as well as the older members of the family are to act their partin seeking to save those who are perishing. From His youth Christ was, to all withwhom He associated, an influence that drew them toward higher things. So theyouth today may exert a power for good that will draw souls to God.

Parents need to appreciate more fully the responsibility and honor that Godhas placed upon them, in making them, to the child, the representative of Himself.The character revealed in the contact of daily life will interpret to the child, forgood or for evil, those words of God:

“Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.”“Asone whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you.”

338

Be One, As Christ And The Father Are One, November 16

Now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come tothee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast

given me, that they may be one, as we are. John 17:11.

Where shall we find the purity, goodness, and holiness where we shall besecure? Where is the fold where no wolves will enter? I tell you ... the Lord hasan organized body through whom He will work. There may be more than a scoreof Judases among them; there may be a rash Peter who will under circumstancesof trial deny his Lord; there may be persons represented by John whom Jesusloved, but he may have a zeal that would destroy men’s lives by calling down firefrom heaven upon them to revenge an insult to Christ and to the truth. But thegreat Teacher seeks to give lessons of instruction to correct these existing evils.He is doing the same today with His church. He is pointing out their dangers. Heis presenting before them the Laodicean message.

He shows them that all selfishness, all pride, all self-exaltation, all unbelief andprejudice, which lead to resistance of the truth and turn away from the true light,are dangerous, and unless repented of, those who cherish these things will be leftin darkness as was the Jewish nation. Let every soul now seek to answer the prayerof Christ. Let every soul echo that prayer in mind, in petitions, in exhortations, [300]that they all may be one even as Christ is one with the Father, and work to thisend. In the place of turning the weapons of warfare within our own ranks, let thembe turned against the enemies of God and the truth. Echo the prayer of Christ withyour whole heart: “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thouhast given me, that they may be one, as we are.... I pray not that thou shouldesttake them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (John17:11-15)....

The door of the heart must be opened to the Holy Spirit, for this is the sanctifier,and the truth is the medium. There must be an acceptance of the truth as it is inJesus. This is the only genuine sanctification: “Thy word is truth.” Oh, read theprayer of Christ for unity, “Keep through thine own name those whom thou hastgiven me, that they may be one as we are.” The prayer of Christ is not only forthose who are now His disciples, but for all those who shall believe on Christthrough the words of His disciples, even to the end of the world....

The Lord has had a church from that day, through all the changing scenes oftime to the present period.... The Bible sets before us a model church. They are tobe in unity with each other, and with God. When believers are united in Christthe living vine, the result is that they are one with Christ, full of sympathy andtenderness and love.

339

The Route To Greater Spiritual Life In The Church,November 17

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. John 3:7.

The question is often asked, Why is there not more power in the church? whynot more vital godliness? The reason is, the requirements of God’s Word are notcomplied with in verity and in truth; God is not loved supremely, and our neighboras ourselves. This covers the entire ground. Upon these two commandmentshang all the law and the prophets. Let these two requirements of God be obeyedexplicitly, and there would be no discord in the church, no inharmonious notes inthe family. With many the work is too superficial. Outward forms take the placeof the inner work of grace.... The theory of the truth has converted the head, butthe soul temple has not been cleansed from its idols....

True conviction of sin, real heart sorrow because of wickedness, death to self,the daily overcoming of defects of character, and the new birth—these, representedas old things, Paul says had passed away, and all things had become new. Such awork many know nothing of. They grafted the truth into their natural hearts, andthen went on as before, manifesting the same unhappy traits of character. What is[301]now needed is the plain testimony borne in love from lips touched with living fire.

Church members do not show that living connection with God that they musthave in order to win souls from darkness to light. Make the tree good, and goodfruit will be the result. The work of the Spirit of God upon the heart is essential togodliness. It must be received into the hearts of those who accept the truth, andcreate in them clean hearts, before one of them can keep His commandments andbe doers of the Word. “Marvel not,” said the great Teacher unto the astonishedNicodemus, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

The Bible is not studied as much as it should be; it is not made the rule oflife. Were its precepts conscientiously followed, and made the basis of character,there would be steadfastness of purpose that no business speculations or worldlypursuits could seriously influence. A character thus formed, and supported bythe Word of God, will abide the day of trial, of difficulties, and dangers. Theconscience must be enlightened, and the life sanctified by the love of the truthreceived into the heart, before the influence will be saving upon the world.

What is needed is men of action for the time, prompt, determined, firm as arock to principle, and prepared to meet any emergency. Why we are so weak, whythere are so many irresponsible men among us, is because they do not connectwith God; they have not an indwelling Saviour, and do not feel the love of Christever fresh and new.... No earthly relationship is as strong as this love. Nothingcan compare with it.

340

Reflecting Light From The Sun Of Righteousness, November18

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost,whom God hath given to them that obey him. Acts 5:32.

God wants every member of the church to stand faithfully at his post of duty,to realize his responsibility, and create a heavenly atmosphere about his soul bycontinually gathering the bright rays of the Sun of Righteousness to shed upon thepathway of those about him....

We are to be representatives of Christ, as Christ was a representative of theFather. We want to be able to attract souls to Jesus, to point them to the Lamb ofCalvary, who taketh away the sin of the world. Christ does not clothe sin withHis righteousness, but He removes the sin, and in its place He imputes His ownrighteousness. When your sin is cleansed, the righteousness of Christ goes beforeyou, and the glory of the Lord is your rearward. Your influence will then bedecidedly on the side of Christ; for instead of making self a center, you will make [302]Christ a center, and will feel that you are a guardian of sacred trusts.

When you remember that Christ has paid the price of His own blood for yourredemption and for the redemption of others, you will be moved to catch the brightrays of His righteousness, that you may shed them upon the pathway of thosearound you. You are not to look to the future, thinking that at some distant dayyou are to be made holy; it is now that you are to be sanctified through the truth....Jesus says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come uponyou: and ye shall be witnesses unto me... unto the uttermost part of the earth”(Acts 1:8). We are to receive the Holy Ghost.... The Holy Spirit is the Comforterthat Christ promised to His disciples to bring all things to their remembrancewhatsoever He had said unto them.

Then let us cease to look to ourselves, but look to Him from whom all virtuecomes. No one can make himself better, but we are to come to Jesus as we are,earnestly desiring to be cleansed from every spot and stain of sin, and receive thegift of the Holy Spirit.... By living faith we must lay hold of His promise, for Hehas said, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; thoughthey be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

We are to be witnesses for Christ, reflecting upon others the light which theLord permits to shine upon us. We are to be as faithful soldiers marching under thebloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel.... The Captain of our salvation knowsthe plan of the battle, and we shall come off more than conquerors through Him.

341

Praise To God Has Irresistible Power, November 19

They that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lordhearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before

him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.Malachi 3:16.

To the Christian is granted the joy of gathering rays of eternal light from thethrone of glory, and of reflecting these rays not only on his own path, but onthe paths of those with whom he associates. By speaking words of hope andencouragement, of grateful praise and kindly cheer, he may strive to make thosearound him better, to elevate them, to point them to heaven and glory, and tolead them to seek, above all earthly things, the eternal substance, the immortalinheritance, the riches that are imperishable.[303]

“Rejoice in the Lord alway,” says the apostle, “and again I say, Rejoice.”Wherever we go, we should carry an atmosphere of Christian hopefulness andcheer; then those who are out of Christ will see attractiveness in the religion weprofess; unbelievers will see the consistency of our faith. We need to have moredistinct glimpses of heaven, the land where all is brightness and joy. We need toknow more of the fullness of the blessed hope. If we are constantly “rejoicingin hope,” we shall be able to speak words of encouragement to those whom wemeet....

Not alone in daily association with believers and unbelievers are we to glorifyGod by speaking often one to another in words of gratitude and rejoicing. AsChristians, we are exhorted not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together,for our own refreshing, and to impart the consolation we have received. In thesemeetings, held from week to week, we should dwell upon God’s goodness andmanifold mercies, upon His power to save from sin. In features, in temper, inwords, in character, we are to witness that the service of God is good. Thus weproclaim that “the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”

Our prayer and social meetings should be seasons of special help and en-couragement.... This can best be done by having a fresh experience daily in thethings of God, and by not hesitating to speak of His love in the assemblies of Hispeople....

If we thought and talked more of Jesus, and less of ourselves, we should havemuch more of His presence. If we abide in Him, we shall be so filled with peace,faith, and courage, and shall have so victorious an experience to relate when wecome to meeting, that others will be refreshed by our clear, strong testimony forGod. These precious acknowledgments to the praise of the glory of His grace,when supported by a Christlike life, have an irresistible power, which works forthe salvation of souls.

342

Jesus Was A Friend To Every Human Being, November 20

Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. Hebrews 10:9.

Christ’s dignity as a divine teacher was of an order higher than the dignity ofpriests and rulers. It was distinct from all worldly pomp; for it was divine. Hedispensed with all worldly display, and showed that He regarded the gradations ofsociety, fixed by opulence and rank, as of no value. He had ... stepped down fromHis high command to bring to human beings power to become the sons of God;and earthly rank was not of the least value with Him. He could have brought withHim ten thousand angels if they would have helped Him in His work of redeemingthe race. [304]

Christ passed by the homes of the wealthy, the courts of royalty, the renownedseats of learning, and made His home in obscure and despised Nazareth. His life,from its beginning to its close, was a life of lowliness and humility. Poverty wasmade sacred by His life of poverty. He would not put on a dignity of attitude thatwould debar men and women, however lowly, from coming into His presence andlistening to His teaching....

No teacher ever placed such signal honor upon man as did our Lord JesusChrist. He was known as the friend of publicans and sinners. He mingled with allclasses, and sowed the world with truth. In the marketplace and the synagogueHe proclaimed His message. He relieved every species of suffering, both physicaland spiritual. Beside all waters He sowed the seeds of truth. His one desire wasthat all might have spiritual and physical soundness. He was the friend of everyhuman being. Was He not pledged to bring life and light to all who would receiveHim? Was He not pledged to give them power to become the sons of God? Hegave Himself wholly and entirely to the work of soul-saving....

As He “went about doing good,” every day’s experience was an outpouring ofHis life. In one way only could such a life be sustained. Jesus lived in dependenceupon God and communion with Him. To the secret place of the Most High, underthe shadow of the Almighty, men now and then repair; they abide for a season,and the result is manifest in noble deeds; then their faith fails, the communion isinterrupted, and the lifework marred. But the life of Jesus was a life of constanttrust, sustained by continual communion; and His service for heaven and earthwas without failure or faltering. As a man He supplicated the throne of God, untilHis humanity was charged with a heavenly current that connected humanity withdivinity. Receiving life from God, He imparted life to men.

343

Encourage A Spirit Of Kindliness, November 21

To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to showperfect courtesy toward all men. Titus 3:2, R.S.V.

How many useful and honored workers in God’s cause have received a trainingamid the humble duties of the most lowly positions in life! Moses was theprospective ruler of Egypt, but God could not take him from the king’s court todo the work appointed him. Only when he had been for forty years a faithfulshepherd was he sent to be the deliverer of his people. Gideon was taken from thethreshing-floor to be the instrument in the hands of God for delivering the armiesof Israel. Elisha was called to leave the plow and do the bidding of God. Amoswas a husbandman, a tiller of the soil, when God gave him a message to proclaim.[305]

All who become coworkers with Christ will have a great deal of hard, uncon-genial labor to perform, and their lessons of instruction should be wisely chosen,and adapted to their peculiarities of character, and the work which they are topursue.

The Lord has presented to me, in many ways and at various times, howcarefully we should deal with the young—that it requires the finest discriminationto deal with minds. Everyone who has to do with the education and training ofyouth needs to live very close to the great Teacher, to catch His spirit and mannerof work. Lessons are to be given which will affect their character and lifework.

They should be taught that the gospel of Christ tolerates no spirit of caste,that it gives no place to unkind judgment of others, which tends directly to self-exaltation. The religion of Jesus never degrades the receiver, nor makes him coarseand rough; nor does it make him unkind in thought and feeling toward those forwhom Christ died....

Some are in danger of making the externals all-important, of overestimatingthe value of mere conventionalities....

Anything that would encourage ungenerous criticism, a disposition to noticeand expose every defect or error, is wrong. It fosters distrust and suspicion, whichare contrary to the character of Christ, and detrimental to the mind thus exercised.Those who are engaged in this work gradually depart from the true spirit ofChristianity.

The most essential, enduring education is that which will develop the noblerqualities, which will encourage a spirit of universal kindliness, leading the youthto think no evil of anyone, lest they misjudge motives and misinterpret words andactions. The time devoted to this kind of instruction will yield fruit to everlastinglife.

344

The Eternal Reward Of Reaching Out, November 22

When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt

be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Luke 14:13, 14.

It is the reward of Christ’s workers to enter into His joy. That joy, to whichChrist Himself looks forward with eager desire, is presented in His request to HisFather, “I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.”

The angels were waiting to welcome Jesus, as He ascended after His resurrec- [306]tion. The heavenly host longed to greet again their loved Commander, returnedto them from the prison house of death. Eagerly they pressed about Him as Heentered the gates of heaven. But He waved them back. His heart was with thelonely, sorrowing band of disciples whom He had left upon Olivet. It is still withHis struggling children on earth, who have the battle with the destroyer yet towage. “Father,” He says, “I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be withme where I am.”

Christ’s redeemed ones are His jewels, His precious and peculiar treasure.“They shall be as the stones of a crown” “the riches of the glory of his inheritancein the saints.” In them “he shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.”

And will not His workers rejoice when they, too, behold the fruit of theirlabors? ...

Every impulse of the Holy Spirit leading men to goodness and to God is notedin the books of heaven, and in the day of God everyone who has given himself asan instrument for the Holy Spirit’s working will be permitted to behold what hislife has wrought.

Wonderful will be the revealing as the lines of holy influence, with theirprecious results, are brought to view. What will be the gratitude of souls thatwill meet us in the heavenly courts, as they understand the sympathetic, lovinginterest which has been taken in their salvation! All praise, honor, and glory willbe given to God and to the Lamb for our redemption; but it will not detract fromthe glory of God to express gratitude to the instrumentality He has employed inthe salvation of souls ready to perish.

The redeemed will meet and recognize those whose attention they have directedto the uplifted Saviour. What blessed converse they have with these souls! “I wasa sinner,” it will be said, ... “and you came to me, and drew my attention to theprecious Saviour as my only hope. And I believed in Him.” ... What rejoicingthere will be as these redeemed ones meet and greet those who have had a burdenin their behalf!

345

Strict Integrity To Mark The Christian, November 23

Thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shaltthou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy

God giveth thee. Deuteronomy 25:15.

In all the details of life, Christians are to follow the principles of strict integrity.These are not the principles that govern the world; for there Satan is master, andhis principles of deception and oppression bear sway. But Christians serve under[307]a different Master, and their actions must be wrought in God. They must put asideall desire for selfish gain.

To some, deviation from perfect fairness in business deals may look like asmall thing, but our Saviour does not thus regard it. His words on this point areplain and explicit: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much;and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” A man who will overreachin a small matter will overreach in a larger matter if the temptation comes to him.

Christ’s followers are obliged to be more or less connected with the world inbusiness matters. In His prayer for them the Saviour says, “I pray not that thoushouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from theevil.” Christians are to buy and sell with the realization that the eye of God is uponthem. Never are they to use false balances or deceitful weights....

In every action of life the true Christian is just what he desires those aroundhim to think he is. He is guided by truth and uprightness. He does not scheme;therefore he has nothing to gloss over. He may be criticized, he may be tested; butthrough all, his unbending integrity shines out like pure gold. He is a friend andbenefactor to all connected with him; and his fellow men place confidence in him;for he is trustworthy.

Does he employ laborers to gather in his harvest? He does not keep backtheir hard-earned money. Has he means for which he has no immediate use? Herelieves the necessities of his less fortunate brother. He does not seek to enlarge hispossessions by taking advantage of the untoward circumstances of his neighbor.He accepts only a fair price for that which he sells. If there are defects in thearticles sold, he frankly tells the buyer, even though by so doing he may seem towork against his own pecuniary interests.

A man may not have a pleasant exterior; but if he has a reputation for straight-forward, honest dealing, he is respected.... A man who steadfastly adheres to thetruth wins the confidence of all. Not only do Christians trust him; worldlings areconstrained to acknowledge the worth of his character.

346

We Are To Reflect Christ’s Love, November 24

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sentme, even so send I you. John 20:21.

We should earnestly seek to know and appreciate the truth, that we may presentit to others as it is in Jesus. We need to have a correct estimate of the value of our [308]own souls; then we would not be as reckless in regard to our course of action asat present. We would seek most earnestly to know God’s way; we would workan opposite direction from selfishness, and our constant prayer would be that wemight have the mind of Christ, that we might be molded and fashioned after Hislikeness. It is in looking to Jesus and beholding His loveliness, having our eyessteadfastly fixed upon Him, that we become changed into His image. He will givegrace to all that keep His way, and do His will, and walk in truth....

I beseech you whose names are registered on the church book as worthymembers, to be indeed worthy, through the virtue of Christ. Mercy and truth andthe love of God are promised to the humble and contrite soul....

All heaven is filled with amazement, that when this love, so broad, so deep, sorich and full, is presented to men who have known the grace of our Lord JesusChrist, they are so indifferent, so cold and unmoved....

The infinite treasures of truth have been accumulating from age to age. Norepresentation could adequately impress us with the extent, the richness, of thesevast resources. They are awaiting the demand of those who appreciate them. Thesegems of truth are to be gathered up by God’s remnant people, to be given by themto the world; but self-confidence and obduracy of soul refuse the blessed treasure.“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoeverbelieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Such love cannot bemeasured, neither can it be expressed. John calls upon the world to behold “whatmanner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called thesons of God.” It is a love that passeth knowledge.

In the fullness of the sacrifice, nothing was withheld. Jesus gave Himself.God designs that His people shall love one another as Christ loved us. Theyare to educate and train the soul for this love. They are to reflect this love intheir own character, to reflect it to the world. Each should look upon this as hiswork.... Christ’s fullness is to be presented to the world by those who have becomepartakers of His grace. They are to do that for Christ which Christ did for theFather—represent His character.

347

Character Is Power, November 25

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also wehave access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of

the glory of God. Romans 5:1, 2.

Christ has given us no assurance that to attain perfection of character is an[309]easy matter. A noble, all-round character is not inherited. It does not come to usby accident. A noble character is earned by individual effort through the meritsand grace and Christ. God gives the talents, the powers of the mind; we formthe character. It is formed by hard, stern battles with self. Conflict after conflictmust be waged against hereditary tendencies. We shall have to criticize ourselvesclosely, and allow not one unfavorable trait to remain uncorrected....

A character formed according to the divine likeness is the only treasure thatwe can take from this world to the next. Those who are under the instruction ofChrist in this world will take every divine attainment with them to the heavenlymansions....

The heavenly intelligences will work with the human agent who seeks withdetermined faith that perfection of character which will reach out to perfection inaction. To everyone engaged in this work Christ says, I am at your right hand tohelp you.

As the will of man cooperates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent.Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. AllHis biddings are enablings.

Character is power. The silent witness of a true, unselfish, godly life carries analmost irresistible influence. By revealing in our own life the character of Christwe cooperate with Him in the work of saving souls. It is only by revealing in ourlife His character that we can cooperate with Him. And the wider the sphere ofour influence, the more good we may do. When those who profess to serve Godfollow Christ’s example, practicing the principles of the law in their daily life;when every act bears witness that they love God supremely and their neighbor asthemselves, then will the church have power to move the world....

We know not what results a day, an hour, or a moment may determine, andnever should we begin the day without committing our ways to our heavenlyFather.... When unconsciously we are in danger of exerting a wrong influence, theangels will be by our side, prompting us to a better course, choosing our words forus, and influencing our actions. Thus our influence may be a silent, unconscious,but mighty power in drawing others to Christ and the heavenly world.

348

Jesus Showed Us How To Live, November 26

I received mercy for this reason, that in me, ... Jesus Christ might displayhis perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for

eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:16, R.S.V.

He [Jesus] was a teacher, such an educator as the world never saw or heard [310]before. He spake as one having authority, and yet He invites the confidence of all.“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: andye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”(Matthew 11:28-30).

The only-begotten Son of the infinite God has, by His words, His practicalexample, left us a plain pattern which we are to copy. By His words He haseducated us to obey God, and by His own practice He has showed us how wecan obey God. This is the very work He wants every man to do, to obey Godintelligently, by precept and example teach others what they must do in order tobe obedient children of God.

Jesus has helped the whole world to an intelligent knowledge of His divinemission and work. He came to represent the character of the Father to our world,and as we study the life, the words, and works of Jesus Christ, we are helped inevery way in the education of obedience to God; and as we copy the example Hehas given us, we are living epistles known and read of all men. We are the livinghuman agencies to represent in character Jesus Christ to the world.

Not only did Christ give explicit rules showing how we may become obedientchildren, but He showed us in His own life and character just how to do thosethings which are right and acceptable with God, so there is no excuse why weshould not do those things which are pleasing in His sight....

The great Teacher came to our world to stand at the head of humanity, to thuselevate and sanctify humanity by His holy obedience to all of God’s requirements,showing it is possible to obey all the commandments of God. He has demonstratedthat a lifelong obedience is possible. Thus He gives chosen, representative men tothe world, as the Father gave the Son, to exemplify in their life the life of JesusChrist.

In Him was found the perfect ideal. To reveal this ideal as the only truestandard for attainment; to show what every human being might become; what,through the indwelling of humanity by divinity, all who received Him wouldbecome—for this, Christ came to the world. He came to show how men are to betrained as befits the sons of God; how on earth they are to practice the principlesand to live the life of heaven.

349

The Value Of Pain, November 27

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to becompared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18.

In the experience of the apostle John under persecution, there is a lesson[311]of wonderful strength and comfort for the Christian. God does not prevent theplottings of wicked men, but He causes their devices to work for good to those whoin trial and conflict maintain their faith and loyalty. Often the gospel laborer carrieson his work amid storms of persecution, bitter opposition, and unjust reproach.At such times let him remember that the experience to be gained in the furnaceof trial and affliction is worth all the pain it costs. Thus God brings His childrennear to Him, that He may show them their weakness and His strength. He teachesthem to lean on Him. Thus He prepares them to meet emergencies, to fill positionsof trust, and to accomplish the great purpose for which their powers were giventhem.

In all ages God’s appointed witnesses have exposed themselves to reproachand persecution for the truth’s sake. Joseph was maligned and persecuted becausehe preserved his virtue and integrity. David, the chosen messenger of God, washunted like a beast of prey by his enemies. Daniel was cast into a den of lionsbecause he was true to his allegiance to heaven. Job was deprived of his worldlypossessions, and so afflicted in body that he was abhorred by his relatives andfriends; yet he maintained his integrity.

Jeremiah could not be deterred from speaking the words that God had givenhim to speak; and his testimony so enraged the king and princes that he wascast into a loathsome pit. Stephen was stoned because he preached Christ andHim crucified. Paul was imprisoned, beaten with rods, stoned, and finally put todeath because he was a faithful messenger for God to the Gentiles. And John wasbanished to the Isle of Patmos “for the word of God, and for the testimony of JesusChrist.”

These examples of human steadfastness bear witness to the faithfulness ofGod’s promises—of His abiding presence and sustaining grace. They testify tothe power of faith to withstand the powers of the world....

They bore witness to the power of One mightier than Satan.... Through trialand persecution the glory—the character—of God is revealed in His chosen ones.The believers in Christ, hated and persecuted by the world, are educated anddisciplined in the school of Christ. On earth they walk in narrow paths; they arepurified in the furnace of affliction.

350

Those Who Return To The Old Paths, November 28

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songsand everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy

[312]and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:10.

The world is full of men and women who manifest no sense of obligation toGod for their entrusted gifts. They do not realize that God has entrusted them withtalents, not for self-glorification, but for His own name’s glory. They are eager fordistinction....

There are men whom God has qualified with more than ordinary ability. Theyare deep thinkers, energetic, and thorough. But many of them are bent upon theattainment of their own selfish ends, without regard to the honor and glory of God.Some of these have seen the light of truth, but because they honored themselves,and did not make God first and last and best in everything, they have wanderedaway from Bible truth into skepticism and infidelity. When these are arrested bythe chastisements of God, and through affliction are led to inquire for the old paths,the mist of skepticism is swept from their minds. Some of them repent, return tothe old love, and set their feet in the way cast up for the ransomed of the Lord towalk in. No longer are they actuated by the love of money or by selfish ambition.The Spirit of God working upon the heart is valued by them more highly thangold or the praise of men. When this amazing change is wrought, the thoughts aredirected by the Spirit of God into new channels, the character is transformed, andthe aspirations of the soul reach out toward heavenly things.

True religion has power today. It enables men to overcome the stubborninfluence of pride, selfishness, and unbelief, and in the simplicity of true godlinessto reveal a living connection with heaven. The grace which Christ imparts makesit possible for men to rise superior to all the infatuating temptations of Satan.It will lead them to the cross of Jesus as active, devoted, loyal workers for theadvancement of the truth of heaven.

Fidelity to God has marked the heroes of faith from age to age. As they havebeen brought conspicuously before the world their light has shone forth. Theirobedience to the command of Christ, “Go forward,” has led others to glorify God.

There are today moral heroes, men and women who are living noble lives ofself-denial. They have no ambition for worldly fame. Their will is subordinate tothe will of God. The love of God inspires their ministry. To do good and to savesouls is their highest aim.

These have gained genuine knowledge, even the knowledge set forth by Christin the words, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). [313]

351

God Has A Tender Care For His People, November 29

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open untotheir cry. Psalm 34:15.

You must not sink down discouraged. The fainthearted will be made strong;the desponding will be made to hope. God has a tender care for His people. Hisear is open unto their cry. I have no fears for God’s cause. He will take care ofHis own cause. Our duty is to fill our lot and place, live...humble at the foot of thecross, and live faithful, holy lives before Him. While we do this we shall not beashamed, but our souls will confide in God with holy boldness.

God has released us from burdens; He has set us free.... Our enemies maytriumph. They may speak lying words, and their slandering tongue frame slander,deceit, guile; yet will we not be moved. We know in whom we believe. We havenot run in vain, neither labored in vain. Jesus knows us.... A reckoning day iscoming and all will be judged according to the deeds that are done in the body....

It is true the world is dark. Opposition may wax strong. The trifler and scornermay grow bolder and harder in their iniquity. Yet, for all this, we will not bemoved. We have not run as uncertain. No, no. My heart is fixed, trusting in God.We have a whole Saviour. We can rejoice in His rich fullness. I long to be moredevoted to God, more consecrated to Him. This world is too dark for me. Jesussaid He would go away and prepare mansions for us, that where He is we may bealso. Praise God for this. My heart leaps with joy at the cheering prospect.

Religion is made to dwell too much in an iron case. Pure religion and undefiledleads us to a childlike simplicity. We want to pray and talk with humility, having asingle eye to the glory of god. There has been too much of a form of godlinesswithout the power. The outpouring of the Spirit of God will lead to a gratefulacknowledgment of the same; and while we feel and realize the wondrous loveof God, we shall not hold our peace, we shall sacrifice to God with the voice ofthanksgiving and make melody to Him with our hearts and voices. Let us plant ourfeet upon the Rock of Ages and then we will have abiding support and consolation.Our soul will repose in God with unshaken confidence.

Why do we so seldom visit the fountain when it is full and free? Our soulsoften need to drink at the fountain in order to be refreshed and flourish in the Lord.Salvation we must have. Without vital godliness our religion is vain. A form willbe of no advantage to us. We must have the deep workings of the Spirit of God.[314]

352

Christians To Reflect The Light Of Heaven, November 30

A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, andput it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that

are in the house. Matthew 5:14, 15.

“Ye are the light of the world,” said Christ to His disciples. As the sun goesforth in the heavens, dispelling the shades of night, and filling the world withbrightness, so must the followers of Jesus let their light shine to dispel the moraldarkness of a world lying in sin. But they have no light of themselves; it is thelight of Heaven which they are to reflect to the world.

“A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” Our thoughts and purposes are thesecret springs of action, and hence determine the character. The purpose formedin the heart need not be expressed in word or deed in order to make it sin, andbring the soul into condemnation. Every thought, feeling, and inclination, thoughunseen by men, is discerned by the eye of God. But it is only when the evil thathas taken root in the heart reaches its fruition in the unlawful word or deed thatman can judge the character of his fellowman.

The Christian is Christ’s representative. He is to show to the world the trans-forming power of divine grace. He is a living epistle of the truth of God, knownand read of all men. The rule given by Christ by which to determine who are Histrue followers is, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” ...

The Christian’s godly life and holy conversation are a daily testimony againstsin and sinners. But he must present Christ, not self. Christ is the great remedyfor sin. Our compassionate Redeemer has provided for us the help we need. He iswaiting to impute His righteousness to the sincere penitent, and to kindle in hisheart such divine love as only our gracious Redeemer can inspire. Then let us whoprofess to be His witnesses on earth, His ambassadors from the court of heaven,glorify Him whom we represent, by being faithful to our trust as light bearers tothe world.

Everyone who at last secures eternal life will here manifest zeal and devotionin the service of God. He will not desert the post of duty at the approach oftrial, hardship, or reproach. He will be a diligent student of the Scriptures, andwill follow the light as it shines upon his pathway. When some plain, scripturalrequirement is presented he will not stop to inquire, What will my friends say, if Itake my position with the people of God? Knowing his duty, he will do it heartilyand fearlessly.

Of such truehearted followers Jesus declares that He is not ashamed to callthem brethren. The God of truth will be on their side, and will never forsake them. [315]All apparent losses for Christ’s sake will count to them as infinite gain.

353

December—Maranatha

The Keynote Of Scripture, December 1

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter dayupon the earth. Job 19:25.

One of the most solemn and yet most glorious truths revealed in the Bible isthat of Christ’s second coming, to complete the great work of redemption. ToGod’s pilgrim people, so long left to sojourn in “the region and shadow of death,”a precious, joy-inspiring hope is given in the promise of His appearing, who is“the resurrection and the life,” to “bring home again His banished.” The doctrineof the second advent is the very key-note of the Sacred Scriptures. From the daywhen the first pair turned their sorrowing steps from Eden, the children of faithhave waited the coming of the Promised One to break the destroyer’s power andbring them again to the lost Paradise. ... Enoch, only the seventh in descent fromthem that dwelt in Eden, he who for three centuries on earth walked with hisGod, was permitted to behold from afar the coming of the Deliverer. “Behold,” hedeclared, “the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgmentupon all.” The patriarch Job in the night of his affliction exclaimed with unshakentrust: “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter dayupon the earth:...in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, andmine eyes shall behold, and not another.”

May the God of all grace so enlighten your understanding that you may discerneternal things, that by the light of truth your own errors, which are many, may bediscovered to you just as they are, that you may make the necessary effort to putthem away, and in the place of this evil, bitter fruit may bring forth fruit which isprecious unto eternal life.

Humble your poor, proud, self-righteous heart before God; get low, verylow, all broken in your sinfulness at His feet. Devote yourself to the work ofpreparation. Rest not until you can truly say: My Redeemer liveth, and, becauseHe lives, I shall live also.

If you lose heaven, you lose everything; if you gain heaven, you gain every-thing. Do not make a mistake in this matter, I implore you. Eternal interests arehere involved.[316]

356

He Shall Reign Forever, December 2

The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying,The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of

his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15.

The coming of Christ to usher in the reign of righteousness has inspired themost sublime ... utterances of the sacred writers.... The psalmist sang of the powerand majesty of Israel’s King:...“Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad... before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judgethe world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.” Psalm 96:11-13.

Said the prophet Isaiah: “He will swallow up death in victory; and the LordGod will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall hetake away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it....” Isaiah 25:8....

When the Saviour was about to be separated from His disciples, He comfortedthem in their sorrow with the assurance that He would come again: “Let not yourheart be troubled....In my Father’s house are many mansions....I go to prepare aplace for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, andreceive you unto myself.” John 14:1-3....

The angels who lingered upon Olivet after Christ’s ascension repeated tothe disciples the promise of His return: “This same Jesus, which is taken upfrom you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go intoheaven.” Acts 1:11. And the apostle Paul, speaking by the Spirit of Inspiration,testified: “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with thevoice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Saysthe prophet of Patmos: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall seehim.” Revelation 1:7.

About His coming cluster the glories of that “restitution of all things, whichGod hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”Acts 3:21. Then the long-continued rule of evil shall be broken; “the kingdomsof this world” will become “the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and heshall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15. [317]

357

Uplift Jesus As The Center, December 3

I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.Revelation 22:16.

The perils of the last days are upon us, and in our work we are to warn thepeople of the danger they are in. Let not the solemn scenes which prophecyhas revealed be left untouched. If our people were half awake, if they realizedthe nearness of the events portrayed in the Revelation, a reformation would bewrought in our churches, and many more would believe the message. We have notime to lose.... Advance new principles, and crowd in the clear-cut truth. It will beas a sword cutting both ways. But be not too ready to take a controversial attitude.There will be times when we must stand still and see the salvation of God. LetDaniel speak, let the Revelation speak, and tell what is truth. But whatever phaseof the subject is presented, uplift Jesus as the center of all hope, “the root and theoffspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”

We do not go deep enough in our search for truth. Every soul who believespresent truth will be brought where he will be required to give a reason of thehope that is in him. The people of God will be called upon to stand before kings,princes, rulers, and great men of the earth, and they must know that they do knowwhat is truth. They must be converted men and women. God can teach you morein one moment by His Holy Spirit than you could learn from the great men ofthe earth. The universe is looking upon the controversy that is going on upon theearth. At an infinite cost, God has provided for every man an opportunity to knowthat which will make him wise unto salvation. How eagerly do angels look to seewho will avail himself of this opportunity! When a message is presented to God’speople, they should not rise up in opposition to it; they should go to the Bible,comparing it with the law and the testimony, and if it does not bear this test, it isnot true. God wants our minds to expand. He desires to put His grace upon us. Wemay have a feast of good things every day, for God can open the whole treasure ofheaven to us.

358

God’s Judgments In The Land, December 4

Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things whichare coming on the earth. Luke 21:26.

O that God’s people had a sense of the impending destruction of thousands of [318]cities, now almost given to idolatry! ...

Not long ago a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ballof fire falling among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction.I heard someone say, “We knew that the judgments of God were coming uponthe earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon.” Others said, “Youknew? Why then did you not tell us? We did not know.” On every side I heardsuch words spoken....

Soon grievous troubles will arise among the nations—trouble that will notcease until Jesus comes. As never before we need to press together, serving Himwho has prepared His throne in the heavens and whose kingdom ruleth over all.God has not forsaken His people, and our strength lies in not forsaking Him.

The judgments of God are in the land. The wars and rumors of wars, thedestruction by fire and flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which is toincrease until the end, is very near at hand. We have no time to lose. The world isstirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almostreached their final fulfillment....

Last Friday morning, just before I awoke, a very impressive scene was pre-sented before me. I seemed to awake from sleep but was not in my home. Fromthe windows I could behold a terrible conflagration. Great balls of fire were fallingupon houses, and from these balls fiery arrows were flying in every direction. Itwas impossible to check the fires that were kindled, and many places were beingdestroyed. The terror of the people was indescribable.

Strictly will the cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not bevisited in the extreme of God’s indignation, because some souls will yet breakaway from the delusions of the enemy, and will repent and be converted, while themass will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.

359

A High Standard, December 5

And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed youfrom other people, that ye should be mine. Leviticus 20:26.

I also saw many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight ofthe Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Thosewho receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of troublemust reflect the image of Jesus fully.

I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were lookingto the time of “refreshing” and the “latter rain” to fit them to stand in the day of theLord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without[319]a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could notreceive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holyGod. Those who ... fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth ... willcome up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed tobe hewed and squared for the building. But there will be ... no Mediator to pleadtheir cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration hasgone forth, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, lethim be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that isholy, let him be holy still.”

I saw that none could share the “refreshing” unless they obtain the victoryover every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over everywrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to theLord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand inthe battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that nonebut holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.

We are today to watch that we offend not in word or deed.... We must todayseek God and be determined that we will not rest satisfied without His presence.We should watch and work and pray as though this were the last day that wouldbe granted us. How intensely earnest, then, would be our life. How closely wouldwe follow Jesus in all our words and deeds.

360

Spiritual Giant Or Dwarf?, December 6

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselvesfrom all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of

God. 2 Corinthians 7:1.

The Lord reproves and corrects the people who profess to keep His law. Hepoints out their sins and lays open their iniquity because He wishes to separate allsin and wickedness from them, that they may perfect holiness in His fear and beprepared to die in the Lord or to be translated to heaven....

God will accept nothing but purity and holiness; one spot, one wrinkle, onedefect in the character, will forever debar them from heaven, with all its gloriesand treasures.

Most professed Christians have no sense of the spiritual strength they mightobtain were they as ambitious, zealous, and persevering to gain a knowledge ofdivine things as they are to obtain the paltry, perishable things of this life. Themasses professing to be Christians have been satisfied to be spiritual dwarfs. They [320]have no disposition to make it their object to seek first the kingdom of God andHis righteousness; hence godliness is a hidden mystery to them, they cannotunderstand it. They know not Christ by experimental knowledge.

Ample provisions have been made for all who sincerely, earnestly, and thought-fully set about the work of perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Strength, grace,and glory have been provided through Christ, to be brought by ministering angelsto the heirs of salvation. None are so low, so corrupt and vile, that they cannotfind in Jesus, who died for them, strength, purity, and righteousness, if they willput away their sins, cease their course of iniquity, and turn with full purpose ofheart to the living God. He is waiting to strip them of their garments, stained andpolluted by sin, and to put upon them the white, bright robes of righteousness; andHe bids them live and not die. In Him they may flourish. Their branches will notwither nor be fruitless. If they abide in Him, they can draw sap and nourishmentfrom Him, be imbued with His Spirit, walk even as He walked, overcome as Heovercame, and be exalted to His own right hand.

361

A Crisis Ahead, December 7

Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destructionfrom the Almighty shall it come. Joel 1:15.

The prophecies which the great I AM has given in His word, uniting link afterlink in the chain of events, from eternity in the past to eternity in the future, tellus where we are today in the procession of the ages, and what may be expectedin the time to come. All that prophecy has foretold as coming to pass, until thepresent time, has been traced on the pages of history, and we may be assured thatall which is yet to come will be fulfilled in its order.

Today the signs of the times declare that we are standing on the threshold ofgreat and solemn events. Everything in our world is in agitation. Before our eyesis fulfilling the Saviour’s prophecy of the events to precede His coming: “Ye shallhear of wars and rumors of wars.... Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdomagainst kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, indivers places.”

The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers andstatesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men andwomen of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place aboutus. They are watching the relations that exist among the nations. They observethe intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they recognizethat something great and decisive is about to take place—that the world is on the[321]verge of a stupendous crisis.

The Bible, and the Bible only, gives a correct view of these things. Here arerevealed the great final scenes in the history of our world, ... the sound of theirapproach causing the earth to tremble and men’s hearts to fail them for fear.

Today men and nations are being tested by the plummet in the hand of Himwho makes no mistake. All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, andGod is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes.

Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world asan overwhelming surprise, and this preparation they should make by diligentlystudying the word of God and striving to conform their lives to its precepts.

362

Teaching From House To House, December 8

I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, andhave taught you publickly, and from house to house. Acts 20:20.

Among the members of our churches there should be more house-to-houselabor in giving Bible readings and distributing literature.... As we sow besideall waters we shall realize that “he which soweth bountifully shall reap alsobountifully.”

Christ’s example must be followed by those who claim to be His children.Relieve the physical necessities of your fellow men, and their gratitude will breakdown the barriers and enable you to reach their hearts.... Women as well as mencan engage in the work.... They can do in families a work that men cannot do,a work that reaches the inner life. They can come close to the hearts of thosewhom men cannot reach. Their work is needed. Discreet and humble women cando a good work in explaining the truth to the people in their homes. The wordof God thus explained will do its leavening work, and . . whole families will beconverted....

In the home circle, at your neighbor’s fireside, at the bedside of the sick, in aquiet way you may read the Scriptures and speak a word for Jesus and the truth.Precious seed may thus be sown that will spring up and bring forth fruit....

There is missionary work to be done in many unpromising places. The mis-sionary spirit needs to take hold of our souls, inspiring us to reach classes forwhom we had not planned to labor and in ways and places that we had no ideaof working. The Lord has His plan for the sowing of the gospel seed. In sowingaccording to His will, we shall so multiply the seed that His word may reach [322]thousands who have never heard the truth.

Thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand angels arewaiting to co-operate with members of our churches in communicating the lightthat God has generously given, that a people may be prepared for the coming ofChrist.

Our sisters, the youth, the middle-aged, and those of advanced years, may acta part in the closing work for this time; and in doing this as they have opportunity,they will obtain an experience of the highest value to themselves. In forgetfulnessof self, they will grow in grace.

363

A Character The World Will Recognize, December 9

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, inthe midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights

in the world. Philippians 2:15.

It is God’s purpose to manifest through His people the principles of Hiskingdom. That in life and character they may reveal these principles, He desires toseparate them from the customs, habits, and practices of the world.... By beholdingthe goodness, the mercy, the justice, and the love of God revealed in His church,the world is to have a representation of His character. And when the law of God isthus exemplified in the life, even the world will recognize the superiority of thosewho love and fear and serve God above every other people in the world.

Seventh-day Adventists, above all people, should be patterns of piety, holy inheart and in conversation. To them have been entrusted the most solemn truthsever committed to mortals. Every endowment of grace and power and efficiencyhas been liberally provided. They look for the near return of Christ in the cloudsof heaven. For them to give to the world the impression that their faith is not adominating power in their lives is greatly to dishonor God.

Because of the increasing power of Satan’s temptations, the times in whichwe live are full of peril for the children of God, and we need to learn constantlyof the Great Teacher, that we may take every step in surety and righteousness.Wonderful scenes are opening before us; and at this time a living testimony is tobe borne in the lives of God’s professed people, so that the world may see that inthis age, when evil reigns on every side, there is yet a people who are laying asidetheir will and are seeking to do God’s will—a people in whose hearts and livesGod’s law is written....

Their thoughts are to be pure, their words noble and uplifting. The religion ofChrist is to be interwoven with all that they do and say. They are to be a sanctified,[323]purified, holy people, communicating light to all with whom they come in contact.It is His purpose that by exemplifying the truth in their lives, they shall be a praisein the earth. The grace of Christ is sufficient to bring this about.

364

Prove All Things, December 10

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, butinwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:15.

In the work in which my husband and I were called by the providence of Godto act a part, even from its very beginning in 1843 and 1844, we have had the Lordto devise and plan for us, and He has worked out His plans through His livingagents. False paths have been so often pointed out to us, and the true and safe pathsso clearly defined in all the enterprises connected with the work given us to do, thatI can say of a truth I am not ignorant of Satan’s devices, nor of the ways and worksof God. We have had to tax every power of mind, relying upon wisdom from Godto guide us in our investigations, as we have had to review the different theoriesbrought to our attention, weighing their merits and defects in the light shiningfrom the Word of God and the things God has revealed to me through His Wordand the testimonies, in order that we might not be deceived nor deceive others. Wesurrendered our will and way to God, and most earnestly supplicated His aid; andwe never sought in vain. Many years of painful experience in connection with thework of God have made me acquainted with all kinds of false movements. Manytimes I have been sent to different places with the message, “I have a work foryou to do in that place; I will be with you.” When the occasion came, the Lordgave me a message for those who were having false dreams and visions, and inthe strength of Christ I bore my testimony at the Lord’s bidding....

During the past forty-five years, I have had to meet persons claiming to havefrom God messages of reproof to others. This phase of religious fanaticism hassprung up again and again since 1844. Satan has worked in many ways to establisherror. Some things spoken in these visions came to pass; but many things—inregard to the time of Christ’s coming, the end of probation, and the events to takeplace—proved utterly false....

“Take heed therefore how ye hear” (Luke 8:18), is an admonition of Christ....Examine closely, “prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).... This is the counselof God; shall we heed it? [324]

365

Moving Into Line, December 11

The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seekGod. Psalm 69:32.

It is your privilege to be glad in the Lord, and to rejoice in the knowledgeof His sustaining grace. Let His love take possession of mind and heart. Guardagainst becoming overwearied, careworn, depressed. Bear an uplifting testimony.Turn your eyes away from that which is dark and discouraging, and behold Jesus,our great Leader, under whose watchful supervision the cause of present truth, towhich we are giving our lives and our all, is destined to triumph gloriously....

Oh, let it be seen ... that Jesus is abiding in the heart, sustaining, strengthening,comforting. It is your privilege to be endowed, from day to day, with a richmeasure of His Holy Spirit, and to have broadened views of the importance andscope of the message we are proclaiming to the world. The Lord is willing toreveal to you wondrous things out of His law. Wait before Him with humility ofheart. Pray most earnestly for an understanding of the times in which we live, fora fuller conception of His purpose, and for increased efficiency in soulsaving....

It will be well for us to consider what is soon to come upon the earth. Thisis no time for trifling or self-seeking. If the times in which we are living fail toimpress our minds seriously, what can reach us? ...

Men of clear understanding are needed now. God calls upon those who arewilling to be controlled by the Holy Spirit to lead out in a work of thoroughreformation. I see a crisis before us, and the Lord calls for His laborers to comeinto line. Every soul should now stand in a position of deeper, truer consecrationto God than during the years that have passed....

I have been deeply impressed by scenes that have recently passed before me inthe night season. There seemed to be a great movement—a work of revival—goingforward in many places. Our people were moving into line, responding to God’scall.... Shall we not heed His voice? Shall we not trim our lamps, and act like menwho look for their Lord to come? The time is one that calls for light bearing, foraction.[325]

366

Preparation For What Lies Ahead, December 12

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought hisjudgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in

the day of the Lord’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3.

Transgression has almost reached its limit. Confusion fills the world, and agreat terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near. God’speople should be preparing for what is to break upon the world as an overwhelmingsurprise.

The “time of trouble, such as never was,” is soon to open upon us; and weshall need an experience which we do not now possess and which many are tooindolent to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation thanin reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentationcannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul muststand for himself before God. “Though Noah, Daniel, and Job” were in the land,“as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; theyshall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.” Ezekiel 14:20.

The last great conflict between truth and error is but the final struggle of thelong-standing controversy concerning the law of God. Upon this battle we arenow entering—a battle between the laws of men and the precepts of Jehovah,between the religion of the Bible and the religion of fable and tradition.

We should study the great waymarks that point out the times in which we areliving. . We should now pray most earnestly that we may be prepared for thestruggles of the great day of God’s preparation.

Those who place themselves under God’s control, to be led and guided byHim, will catch the steady tread of the events ordained by Him to take place.Inspired with the Spirit of Him who gave His life for the life of the world, theywill no longer stand still in impotency, pointing to what they cannot do. Puttingon the armor of heaven, they will go forth to the warfare, willing to do and darefor God, knowing that His omnipotence will supply their need. [326]

367

Relief Of Physical Suffering, December 13

And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal thesick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have

received, freely give. Matthew 10:7, 8.

Perilous times are before us. The whole world will be involved in perplexityand distress, disease of every kind will be upon the human family, and suchignorance as now prevails concerning the laws of health would result in greatsuffering and the loss of many lives that might be saved....

As religious aggression subverts the liberties of our nation, those who wouldstand for freedom of conscience will be placed in unfavorable positions. For theirown sake, they should, while they have opportunity, become intelligent in regardto disease, its causes, prevention, and cure. And those who do this will find a fieldof labor anywhere. There will be suffering ones, plenty of them, who will needhelp, not only among those of our own faith, but largely among those who knownot the truth.

The medical work done in connection with the giving of the third angel’smessage, is to accomplish wonderful results. It is to be a sanctifying, unifyingwork, corresponding to the work which the great Head of the church sent forth thefirst disciples to do.

Calling these disciples together, Christ gave them their commission: ... “Andas ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick,cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freelygive.”“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye thereforewise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:7, 8, 16.

It is well for us to read this chapter and let its instruction prepare us forour labors. The early disciples were going forth on Christ’s errands, under Hiscommission. His spirit was to prepare the way before them. They were to feelthat with such a message to give, such blessings to impart, they should receive awelcome in the homes of the people.

God reaches hearts through the relief of physical suffering. A seed of truth isdropped into the mind, and is watered by God. Much patience may be requiredbefore this seed shows signs of life, but at last it springs up, and bears fruit untoeternal life.

How slow men are to understand God’s preparation for the day of His power![327]

368

The Corruption Of Truth, December 14

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe itnot. Matthew 24:23.

Before the last developments of the work of apostasy there will be a confusionof faith. There will not be clear and definite ideas concerning the mystery of God.One truth after another will be corrupted.

After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every con-ceivable power of evil will be set in operation, and minds will be confused bymany voices crying. “Lo, here is Christ; lo, He is there. This is the truth, I havethe message from God, He has sent me with great light.” Then there will be aremoving of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. Amore decided effort will be made to exalt the false sabbath, and to cast contemptupon God Himself by supplanting the day He has blessed and sanctified. Thisfalse sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law.

In the future, deception of every kind is to arise, and we want solid ground forour feet. We want solid pillars for the building. Not one pin is to be removed fromthat which the Lord has established. The enemy will bring in false theories, suchas the doctrine that there is no sanctuary. This is one of the points on which therewill be a departing from the faith.

There will be false dreams and false visions, which have some truth, but leadaway from the original faith. The Lord has given men a rule by which to detectthem: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word,it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).

As we near the end of time, falsehood will be so mingled with truth, that onlythose who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit will be able to distinguish truthfrom error. We need to make every effort to keep the way of the Lord. We mustin no case turn from His guidance to put our trust in man. The Lord’s angelsare appointed to keep strict watch over those who put their faith in the Lord, andthese angels are to be our special help in every time of need. Every day we are tocome to the Lord with full assurance of faith, and to look to Him for wisdom....Those who are guided by the Word of the Lord will discern with certainty betweenfalsehood and truth, between sin and righteousness. [328]

369

The Shaking Time, December 15

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.Matthew 24:12.

Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads—it is not anyseal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually andspiritually, so they cannot be moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed andprepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgmentsof God are now upon the land, to give us warning, that we may know what iscoming.

The days are fast approaching when there will be great perplexity and confu-sion. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if possible, the very elect. Therewill be gods many and lords many. Every wind of doctrine will be blowing....

The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by stepyielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find ita hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves toderision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is between thecommandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time the goldwill be separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearlydistinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we haveadmired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness. Chaff like a cloud will beborne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat.All who assume the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ’srighteousness, will appear in the shame of their own nakedness.

But there are men who will receive the truth, and these will take the placesmade vacant by those who become offended and leave the truth....

Men of true Christian principle will take their place, and will become faithful,trustworthy householders, to advocate the word of God in its true bearings, and inits simplicity. The Lord will work so that the disaffected ones will be separatedfrom the true and loyal ones....The ranks will not be diminished. Those who arefirm and true will close up the vacancies that are made by those who becomeoffended and apostatize.[329]

370

The Sealing And The Latter Rain, December 16

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, TheLord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name

of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Timothy 2:19.

Before the work is closed up and the sealing of God’s people is finished, weshall receive the outpouring of the Spirit of God. Angels from heaven will be inour midst.

Our heavenly Father claims not at our hands that which we cannot perform.He desires His people to labor earnestly to carry out His purpose for them. Theyare to pray for power, expect power, and receive power, that they may grow upinto the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.

Not all members of the church are cultivating personal piety; therefore theydo not understand their personal responsibility. They do not realize that it is theirprivilege and duty to reach the high standard of Christian perfection.... Are welooking forward to the latter rain, confidently hoping for a better day, when thechurch shall be endued with power from on high and thus fitted for work? Thelatter rain will never refresh and invigorate the indolent, who do not use the powersGod has given them.

We are in great need of the pure, life-giving atmosphere that nurtures andinvigorates the spiritual life. We need greater earnestness. The solemn messagegiven us to give to the world is to be proclaimed with greater fervency, even withan intensity that will impress unbelievers, leading them to see that the Most Highis working with us, that He is the source of our efficiency and strength....

Are you using all your powers in an effort to bring the lost sheep back to thefold? There are thousands upon thousands in ignorance who might be warned.Pray as you have never prayed before for the power of Christ. Pray for theinspiration of His Spirit, that you may be filled with a desire to save those who areperishing. Let the prayer ascend to heaven, “God be merciful unto us, and blessus; and cause his face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth,thy saving health among all nations” (Psalm 67:1, 2). [330]

371

“In These Hours Of Probation”, December 17

I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have Isuccoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of

salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2.

We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon coming. This is not a fable tous; it is a reality. We have no doubt, neither have we had a doubt for years, that thedoctrines we hold today are present truth, and that we are nearing the judgment.We are preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue of holy angels, is toappear in the clouds of heaven to give the faithful and the just the finishing touchof immortality. When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to removefrom us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempersand dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished beforethat time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still. Those whohave preserved their bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and honor,will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust,unsanctified, and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then be done forthem to remove their defects and give them holy characters. The Refiner does notthen sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption.This is all to be done in these hours of probation. It is now that this work is to beaccomplished for us.

We embrace the truth of God with our different faculties, and as we come underthe influence of that truth, it will accomplish the work for us which is necessaryto give us a moral fitness for the kingdom of glory and for the society of theheavenly angels. We are now in God’s workshop. Many of us are rough stonesfrom the quarry. But as we lay hold upon the truth of God, its influence affectsus. It elevates us and removes from us every imperfection and sin, of whatevernature. Thus we are prepared to see the King in His beauty and finally to unitewith the pure and heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory. It is here that this workis to be accomplished for us, here that our bodies and spirits are to be fitted forimmortality.[331]

372

High Spiritual State Attainable, December 18

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present youfaultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Jude 24.

Christ was obedient to every requirement of the law....By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to

obey God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart isunited with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one withHis mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. Thisis what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then asthe Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness anddeformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience tothe law of Jehovah.

Through the plan of redemption, God has provided means for subduing everysinful trait, and resisting every temptation, however strong.

The strongest temptation is no excuse for sin. However great the pressurebrought to bear upon the soul, transgression is our own act. It is not in the powerof earth or hell to compel any one to sin. The will must consent, the heart mustyield, or passion cannot overbear reason, nor iniquity triumph over righteousness.

If you will stand under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel, faithfullydoing His service, you need never yield to temptation; for One stands by your sidewho is able to keep you from falling.

We need not retain one sinful propensity.... [Ephesians 2:1-6 quoted.] ...As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to

wrong are cut away from the character, and we are made a living power for good.Ever learning of the divine Teacher, daily partaking of His nature, we cooperatewith God in overcoming Satan’s temptations. God works, and man works, thatman may be one with Christ as Christ is one with God. Then we sit together withChrist in heavenly places. The mind rests with peace and assurance in Jesus.

373

Who Receive The Seal?, December 19

And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before thethrone of God. Revelation 14:5.

Only those who receive the seal of the living God will have the passport[332]through the gates of the Holy City....

The seal of the living God will be placed upon those only who bear a likenessto Christ in character.

As wax takes the impression of the seal, so the soul is to take the impressionof the Spirit of God and retain the image of Christ.

Many will not receive the seal of God because they do not keep His command-ments or bear the fruits of righteousness.

The great mass of professing Christians will meet with bitter disappointmentin the day of God. They have not upon their foreheads the seal of the livingGod. Lukewarm and halfhearted, they dishonor God far more than the avowedunbeliever. They grope in darkness, when they might be walking in the noondaylight of the Word, under the guidance of One who never errs....

Those whom the Lamb shall lead by the fountains of living waters, and fromwhose eyes He shall wipe away all tears, will be those now receiving the knowledgeand understanding revealed in the Bible, the Word of God....

We are to copy no human being. There is no human being wise enough tobe our criterion. We are to look to the man Christ Jesus, who is complete in theperfection of righteousness and holiness. He is the author and finisher of ourfaith. He is the pattern man. His experience is the measure of the experience thatwe are to gain. His character is our model. Let us, then, take our minds off theperplexities and the difficulties of this life, and fix them on Him, that by beholdingwe may be changed into His likeness. We may behold Christ to good purpose. Wemay safely look to Him; for He is all-wise. As we look to Him and think of Him,He will be formed within, the hope of glory.

Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundredand forty-four thousand.

374

A Time Of Trouble Such As Never Was, December 20

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standethfor the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such asnever was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that timethy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the

book. Daniel 12:1.

When the third angel’s message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guiltyinhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. Theyhave received “the latter rain,” “the ... refreshing ... from the presence of the Lord,” [333]and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening toand fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work isdone; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have provedthemselves loyal to the divine precepts have received “the seal of the living God.”Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands andwith a loud voice says, “It is done.” ...

When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth.In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without anintercessor. The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satanhas entire control of the finally impenitent. God’s long-suffering has ended. Theworld has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. Thewicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistentlyresisted, has been at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine grace, they have noprotection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earthinto one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fiercewinds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The wholeworld will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalemof old.

Those only who have clean hands and pure hearts will stand in that tryingtime.... Now is the time, while the four angels are holding the four winds, to makeour calling and election sure.

375

Angelic Protection In The Time Of Trouble, December 21

Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors aboutthee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be

overpast. Isaiah 26:20.

In the day of fierce trial He [Christ] will say, “Come, my people, enter thouinto thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a littlemoment, until the indignation be overpast.” What are the chambers in which theyare to hide? They are the protection of Christ and holy angels. The people of Godare not at this time all in one place. They are in different companies, and in allparts of the earth.

I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages, and associating together incompanies, and living in the most solitary places. Angels provided them food andwater, while the wicked were suffering from hunger and thirst.

During the night a very impressive scene passed before me. There seemed tobe great confusion and the conflict of armies. A messenger from the Lord stood[334]before me, and said, “Call your household. I will lead you; follow me.” He led medown a dark passage, through a forest, then through the clefts of mountains, andsaid, “Here you are safe.” There were others who had been led to this retreat. Theheavenly messenger said. “The time of trouble has come as a thief in the night, asthe Lord warned you it would come.”

In the time of trouble just before the coming of Christ, the righteous willbe preserved through the ministration of heavenly angels; but there will be nosecurity for the transgressor of God’s law. Angels cannot then protect those whoare disregarding one of the divine precepts.

In the closing period of earth’s history the Lord will work mightily in behalfof those who stand steadfastly for the right.... In the midst of the time of trouble—trouble such as has not been since there was a nation—His chosen ones will standunmoved. Satan with all the hosts of evil cannot destroy the weakest of God’ssaints. Angels that excel in strength will protect them, and in their behalf Jehovahwill reveal Himself as a “God of gods,” able to save to the uttermost those whohave put their trust in Him.

376

God’s People Delivered, December 22

Thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away,and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him

that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. Isaiah 49:25.

When the protection of human laws shall be withdrawn from those who honorthe law of God, there will be, in different lands, a simultaneous movement fortheir destruction. As the time appointed in the decree draws near, the people willconspire to root out the hated sect. It will be determined to strike in one night adecisive blow, which shall utterly silence the voice of dissent and reproof.

The people of God—some in prison cells, some hidden in solitary retreats inthe forests and the mountains—still plead for divine protection, while in everyquarter companies of armed men, urged on by hosts of evil angels, are preparingfor the work of death. It is now, in the hour of utmost extremity, that the God ofIsrael will interpose for the deliverance of His chosen....

With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil men are aboutto rush upon their prey, when, lo, a dense blackness, deeper than the darkness ofthe night, falls upon the earth. Then a rainbow, shining with the glory from thethrone of God, spans the heavens and seems to encircle each praying company. [335]The angry multitudes are suddenly arrested. Their mocking cries die away. Theobjects of their murderous rage are forgotten. With fearful forebodings they gazeupon the symbol of God’s covenant and long to be shielded from its overpoweringbrightness.

By the people of God a voice, clear and melodious, is heard saying, “Look up,”and lifting their eyes to the heavens, they behold the bow of promise. The black,angry clouds that covered the firmament are parted, and like Stephen they look upsteadfastly into heaven and see the glory of God and the Son of man seated uponHis throne.

While all the world is plunged in darkness, there will be light in every dwellingof the saints. They will catch the first light of His second appearing.

377

The Day And Hour Of Christ’s Coming Announced, December23

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, butmy Father only. Matthew 24:36.

The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus’coming, and delivering everlasting covenant to His people. Like peals of loudestthunder His words roll through the earth.

He spoke one sentence, and then paused, while the words were rolling throughthe earth. The Israel of God stood with their eyes fixed upward, listening to thewords as they came from the mouth of Jehovah and rolled through the earth likepeals of loudest thunder. It was awfully solemn. At the end of every sentence thesaints shouted, “Glory! Hallelujah!”

The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice, whilethe wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake.

The Israel of God stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. Their coun-tenances are lighted up with His glory, and shine as did the face of Moses whenhe came down from Sinai. The wicked cannot look upon them. And when theblessing is pronounced on those who have honored God by keeping His Sabbathholy, there is a mighty shout of victory.

Then commenced the jubilee, when the land should rest.A glorious light shone upon them [the saints]. How beautiful they then looked!

All marks of care and weariness were gone, and health and beauty were seen inevery countenance. Their enemies, the heathen around them, fell like dead men;they could not endure the light that shone upon the delivered, holy ones. This lightand glory remained upon them, until Jesus was seen in the clouds of heaven.

And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus stood. Then Jesus ... took His[336]place on the cloud which carried Him to the East, where it first appeared to thesaints on earth—a small black cloud which was the sign of the Son of man. Whilethe cloud was passing from the Holiest to the East, which took a number of days,the synagogue of Satan worshipped at the saint’s feet.

378

The General Resurrection Of The Righteous, December 24

Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs,and the earth shall cast out the dead. Isaiah 26:19.

The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire. Theheavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles before Him, and everymountain and island is moved out of its place....

Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, thevoice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the gravesof the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: “Awake, awake,awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!” Throughout the length and breadthof the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. And thewhole earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation,kindred, tongue, and people. From the prison house of death they come, clothedwith immortal glory, crying: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thyvictory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55. And the living righteous and the risen saints unitetheir voices in a long, glad shout of victory.

All come forth from their graves the same in stature as when they entered thetomb... But all arise with the freshness and vigor of eternal youth.... The mortal,corruptible form, devoid of comeliness, once polluted with sin, becomes perfect,beautiful, and immortal. All blemishes and deformities are left in the grave....

The living righteous are changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal and with therisen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. Angels “gather together hiselect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

As the little infants come forth immortal from their dusty beds, they immedi-ately wing their way to their mothers’ arms.

Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and with songsof gladness ascend together to the City of God. [337]

379

We Shall Recognize Each Other, December 25

Then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12.

We shall know our friends, even as the disciples knew Jesus. They may havebeen deformed, diseased, or disfigured, in this mortal life, and they rise in perfecthealth and symmetry; yet in the glorified body their identity will be perfectlypreserved.... In the face radiant with the light shining from the face of Jesus, weshall recognize the lineaments of those we love.

The redeemed will meet and recognize those whose attention they have directedto the uplifted Saviour. What blessed converse they have with these souls! “I wasa sinner,” it will be said, “without God and without hope in the world, and youcame to me and drew my attention to the precious Saviour as my only hope....”Others will say, “I was a heathen in heathen lands. You left your friends andcomfortable home and came to teach me how to find Jesus and believe in Him asthe only true God. I demolished my idols and worshiped God, and now I see Himface to face. I am saved, eternally saved, ever to behold Him whom I love....”

Others will express their gratitude to those who fed the hungry and clothed thenaked. “When despair bound my soul in unbelief, the Lord sent you to me,” theysay, “to speak words of hope and comfort. You brought me food for my physicalnecessities, and you opened to me the Word of God, awakening me to my spiritualneeds. You treated me as a brother. You sympathized with me in my sorrows, andrestored my bruised and wounded soul, so that I could grasp the hand of Christthat was reached out to save me. In my ignorance you taught me patiently that Ihad a Father in heaven who cared for me. You read to me the precious promisesof God’s Word. You inspired in me the faith that He would save me. My heartwas softened, subdued, broken, as I contemplated the sacrifice which Christ hadmade for me.... I am here, saved, eternally saved, ever to live in His presence andto praise Him who gave His life for me.”

What rejoicing there will be as these redeemed ones meet and greet thosewho have had a burden in their behalf! And those who have lived, not to pleasethemselves, but to be a blessing to the unfortunate who have so few blessings—how their hearts will thrill with satisfaction![338]

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Families Will Be Reunited, December 26

Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes fromtears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall comeagain from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the

Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.Jeremiah 31:16, 17.

Christ is coming with clouds and with great glory. A multitude of shiningangels will attend Him. He will come to raise the dead, and to change the livingsaints from glory to glory. He will come to honor those who have loved Him, andkept His commandments, and to take them to Himself. He has not forgotten themnor His promise. There will be a relinking of the family chain.

The day of God will reveal how much the world owes to godly mothers....When the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened; when the “well

done” of the great Judge is pronounced, and the crown of immortal glory is placedupon the brow of the victor, many will raise their crowns in sight of the assembleduniverse, and pointing to their mother say: “She made me all I am through thegrace of God. Her instruction, her prayers, have been blessed to my eternalsalvation.”

With joy unutterable, parents see the crown, the robe, the harp, given to theirchildren. The days of hope and fear are ended. The seed sown with tears andprayers may have seemed to be sown in vain, but their harvest is reaped with joyat last. Their children have been redeemed.

Oh, wonderful redemption! long talked of, long hoped for, contemplated witheager anticipation, but never fully understood.

To His faithful followers Christ has been a daily companion and familiar friend.They have lived in close contact, in constant communion with God. Upon themthe glory of the Lord has risen. In them the light of the knowledge of the gloryof God in the face of Jesus Christ has been reflected. Now they rejoice in theundimmed rays of the brightness and glory of the King in His majesty. They areprepared for the communion of heaven; for they have heaven in their hearts.

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Welcome To The City Of God, December 27

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hastbeen faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many

[339]things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:23.

With unutterable love, Jesus welcomes His faithful ones to the joy of theirLord. The Saviour’s joy is in seeing, in the kingdom of glory, the souls that havebeen saved by His agony and humiliation. And the redeemed will be sharers in Hisjoy, as they behold, among the blessed, those who have been won to Christ throughtheir prayers, their labors, and their loving sacrifice. As they gather about the greatwhite throne, gladness unspeakable will fill their hearts, when they behold thosewhom they have won for Christ, and see that one has gained others, and these stillothers, all brought into the haven of rest, there to lay their crowns at Jesus’ feetand praise Him through the endless cycles of eternity.

As the ransomed ones are welcomed to the City of God, there rings out uponthe air an exultant cry of adoration. The two Adams are about to meet. The Sonof God is standing with outstretched arms to receive the father of our race—thebeing whom He created, who sinned against his Maker, and for whose sin themarks of the crucifixion are borne upon the Saviour’s form. As Adam discernsthe prints of the cruel nails, he does not fall upon the bosom of his Lord, but inhumiliation casts himself at His feet, crying: “Worthy, worthy is the Lamb thatwas slain!” Tenderly the Saviour lifts him up and bids him look once more uponthe Eden home from which he has so long been exiled.

After his expulsion from Eden, Adam’s life on earth was filled with sorrow.Every dying leaf, every victim of sacrifice, every blight upon the fair face ofnature, every stain upon man’s purity, was a fresh reminder of his sin.... Withpatient humility he bore, for nearly a thousand years, the penalty of transgression.Faithfully did he repent of his sin and trust in the merits of the promised Saviour,and he died in the hope of a resurrection. The Son of God redeemed man’s failureand fall; and now, through the work of the atonement, Adam is reinstated in hisfirst dominion.

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Think On Heavenly Things, December 28

These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed theirrobes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14.

John, while in vision, saw a company clothed in white robes.... They wereseen in the temple of God. This will be the result for all who will lay hold of themerits of Christ and wash their robes in His blood. Every provision has been madeso that we can sit with Christ upon His throne, but the condition is that we be inharmony with the law of God....

We cannot afford to lose heaven. We ought to have our conversation onheavenly things. There there is no death nor pain. Why are we so reluctant to [340]talk of these things? Why do we dwell upon earthly things? The apostle exhortsus to have our conversation in heaven. “For our conversation is in heaven; fromwhence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20)....Christ will soon return to gather those who are prepared, and take them to thisglorious place. “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and untothem that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation”(Hebrews 9:28).

Do we love to think of this event or do we want to put it off? ... The morewe talk of Jesus, the more we shall reflect His divine image. By beholding webecome transformed. We need to bring Christ into our religious experience. Whenyou assemble together, let the conversation be on Christ and His salvation.... Themore we talk of Jesus the more of His matchless charms we shall behold.

Those who take no pleasure in thinking and talking of God in this life, willnot enjoy the life that is to come, where God is ever present, dwelling among Hispeople. But those who love to think of God will be in their element, breathing inthe atmosphere of heaven. Those who on earth love the thought of heaven willbe happy in its holy associations and pleasures.... “And there shall be no morecurse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shallserve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads”(Revelation 22:3, 4).

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Only One Reminder Of Sin, December 29

Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more thewicked and the sinner. Proverbs 11:31.

The wicked receive their recompense in the earth. Proverbs 11:31. They “shallbe stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts.”Malachi 4:1. Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days.All are punished “according to their deeds.” The sins of the righteous having beentransferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for allthe sins which he has caused God’s people to commit. His punishment is to befar greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished whofell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames thewicked are at last destroyed, root and branch—Satan the root, his followers thebranches.

Satan and all who have joined him in rebellion will be cut off.... Then “thewicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall notbe”; “they shall be as though they had not been.” Psalm 37:10; Obadiah 16.[341]

The justice of God is satisfied, and the saints and all the angelic host say witha loud voice, Amen.

While the earth is wrapped in the fire of God’s vengeance, the righteous abidesafely in the Holy City. Upon those that had part in the first resurrection, thesecond death has no power. (Revelation 20:6.) While God is to the wicked aconsuming fire, He is to His people both a sun and a shield. (Psalm 84:11.)

The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curseis swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearfulconsequences of sin.

One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of Hiscrucifixion....

All that was lost by sin has been restored.... God’s original purpose in thecreation of the earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode of the redeemed.“The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.” Psalm 37:29.

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The Immortal Inheritance, December 30

Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritanceof the saints in light. Colossians 1:12, R.S.V.

The ransom has been paid, and it is possible for all to come to God, andthrough a life of obedience to attain unto everlasting life. Then how sad it is thatmen turn from the immortal inheritance, and live for the gratification of pride,for selfishness and display, and ... lose the blessing which they might have bothin this life and in the life to come. They might enter into the palaces of heaven,and associate on terms of freedom and equality with Christ and heavenly angels,and with the princes of God; and yet, incredible as it may seem, they turn fromheavenly attractions.

The Creator of all worlds proposes to love those who believe in His only-begotten Son as their personal Saviour, even as He loves His Son. Even here andnow His gracious favor is bestowed upon us to this marvelous extent. He hasgiven to men the gift of the Light and Majesty of heaven, and with Him He hasbestowed all the treasures of heaven. Much as He has promised us for the life tocome, He also bestows princely gifts upon us in this life, and as subjects of Hisgrace, He would have us enjoy everything that will ennoble, expand, and elevateour characters. It is His design to fit us for the heavenly courts above.

But Satan is contending for the souls of men.... He would not have them catcha glimpse of the future honor, the eternal glories, laid up for those who shall beinhabitants of heaven, or have a taste of the experience that gives a foretaste of the [342]happiness of heaven....

Those who accept Christ as their Saviour have the promise of the life thatnow is, and that which is to come.... The lowliest disciple of Christ may becomean inhabitant of heaven, an heir of God to an inheritance incorruptible, and thatfadeth not away. O that every one might make choice of the heavenly gift, becomean heir of God to that inheritance whose title is secure from any destroyer, worldwithout end! O, choose not the world, but choose the better inheritance! Press,urge your way toward the mark for the prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus.

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Our Saviour’s Highest Honor, December 31

And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Thenhe shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my

friends. Zechariah 13:6.

“I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earthwere passed away.” Revelation 21:1. The fire that consumes the wicked purifiesthe earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away....

One reminder alone remains: Our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of Hiscrucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are theonly traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholdingChrist in His glory: “He had bright beams coming out of his side: and there wasthe hiding of his power.” Habakkuk 3:4, margin. That pierced side whence flowedthe crimson stream that reconciled man to God—there is the Saviour’s glory, there“the hiding of his power.” ... And the tokens of His humiliation are His highesthonor; through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary will show forth His praiseand declare His power.

The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed throughall eternity. In Christ glorified they will behold Christ crucified. Never will it beforgotten that He whose power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds throughthe vast realms of space, the Beloved of God, the Majesty of heaven, He whomcherub and shining seraph delighted to adore—humbled Himself to uplift fallenman; that He bore the guilt and shame of sin, and the hiding of His Father’s face,till the woes of a lost world broke His heart and crushed out His life on Calvary’scross. That the Maker of all worlds, the Arbiter of all destinies, should lay asideHis glory and humiliate Himself from love to man will ever excite the wonder andadoration of the universe. As the nations of the saved look upon their Redeemerand behold the eternal glory of the Father shining in His countenance; as theybehold His throne, which is from everlasting to everlasting, and know that His[343]kingdom is to have no end, they break forth in rapturous song: “Worthy, worthy isthe Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His own most preciousblood!”

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